The horror of another Halinski
by flamyshine
Summary: Stiles doesn't take the news well of his father dating the most dangerous guy in town. (Established Sterek, pre-established Peteriff and Scisaac.)
1. Stiles versus the Disaster

**Pairings**: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (established relationship), Peter Hale/Sheriff Stilinski, Scott McCall/Isaac Lahey

**Other characters**: Lydia Martin, Danny Mahealani

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the characters.

**Warning**: underage

**Author's note**: This is my first Teen Wolf story =D It is set shortly after season 2 with the Alpha pack having left the town.

* * *

The fateful dinner started with a copious amount of water erupting from Stiles' mouth. If the force of the eruption wasn't enough to convey the message, the dead silence from the chatty teenager surely was.

"I'll take all that as a sign of shock." The sheriff calmly wiped his face with a napkin. In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to confide in his son while he was holding a glass of water. But he had been too nervous to think straight and had decided that the sooner was the better. Besides, his son usually reacted better while his brain was busy ordering his stomach to take care of the food that was flooding into his system.

"I… I think I got it wrong. What did you say, dad? Hahaha, I must've gotten it wrong. Who did you say you had a date with on Friday night?"

"Mr. Hale." The sheriff quickly held up his napkin in front of his face.

"Hail? Like the stuff coming down from the sky…?"

"Yes, I've been so lonely that I decided to name a small ball of ice and set up a date with it."

Stiles willfully ignored the sarcastic tone and nodded fiercely. "Good for you, dad! You know what they say! There's no better friend than Nature!"

The sheriff let out a sigh and looked up from his plate. His heart broke a little at the confusion and worries etched in his son's eyes. "It's just dinner, Stiles. And, you know I'll always love you the most. Nothing's ever going to change that."

"That's not the point! He's a dangerous werewolf! You know that!"

"Who are _you_ to judge? You're also going out with a dangerous werewolf."

"But mine is all cute paws and soft fur!"

"He's an Alpha."

"With cute paws and soft fur!"

"Who slashed the throat of a former Alpha with claws hidden in those cute paws."

"Urgh, I knew I shouldn't have told you the whole story."

"I'm the sheriff, son. You did the right thing."

Stiles rubbed his head in frustration. He and Derek had told his dad about werewolves and what had actually happened under his nose, shortly after the Alpha pack had paid them a visit. They had needed all the help that they could get and had taken Chris Argent's suggestion to include the sheriff's department.

That was also when he had gotten himself a boyfriend. In the middle of a particularly nasty fight against the Alphas, Derek had tackled him to the ground and had blanketed him with his body. He had been reminded of the time when the kanima's venom had forced them to stay intimate on the floor of the police station.

If he thought about it, he and Derek might have never gotten together without Matt's help. Trapped in the pool together for over two hours had gotten rid of any animosity left between them, and the paralysis incident had stirred up a whole new set of emotions. Derek saving his life again, shielding his body with his own, had acted as a trigger. Amid blazing guns and bloody claws, he and Derek had gazed into each other's eyes and had shared a brief kiss.

"Come on, Stiles. Don't give me the silence treatment." The sheriff pleaded as he chewed his mashed potatoes. He would rather deal with his son's overwhelming babbling than utter silence.

"So you swing both ways for real! You weren't just making me feel better when I told you I liked Derek." Stiles thought about how his dad had told him that bisexuality ran in the family and that he had had a serious boyfriend in college.

"I would never lie to you, son. If you must know, that boy in college was called Orny. Now I wouldn't make up such a name, would I?"

"Orny? What kind of a name is Orny? Was that his real name? He should've gotten himself a cool nickname like Stiles!"

"Tell me about it. Everyone called him Horny Orny."

"Bwhahaha… Horny Orny! Ahahaha…" And, Stiles had thought that _his_ name was bad.

The sheriff smiled at the familiar laughter. There were very few things more satisfying in life than hearing your hyperactive child giggle like a maniac. But the laughter didn't last long and he soon found the teenager choosing his words carefully.

"So you're attracted to him? You're going out with him completely on your free will? He didn't threaten to kill us both if you said no?"

"For god's sake, Stiles, I respected your choice and didn't ask you such questions about Derek. I expect you to do the same for me."

"But Derek isn't a murderer!"

"Neither is Peter. Not anymore anyway. He told me he's been a new man since he's come back from the dead and I believe him. You just can't hide some things from your eyes. And, he saved your life, remember? He also saved Derek's when he could've killed him and become an Alpha again."

"Oh, so this is just a 'Thanks so much for saving my son's life. I obviously owe you a nice meal' kind of thing? It's not a real date?" Stiles couldn't help being hopeful.

"In which world is a 'date' not a real date?"

"I don't know! Narnia? The Underworld? Asgard?" He was grasping at straws now.

The sheriff shook his head and held his son's hand. "Listen to me, Stiles. After all these years, my old heart only beats faster on two occasions. First, when I perceive danger and need to eliminate the threat for the safety of our town. Second, when someone says something nice about you, implying that I've raised you right even without your mother. But when Peter came by the station last night to ask me out, it beat harder for another reason. And, I quite liked that."

Stiles nodded and squeezed his dad's hand. He now felt like the most horrible son on earth. "Sorry, dad. I guess I forgot how tough things have been on you since mom passed away. I have Derek, and you should start looking for someone that makes you happy too. And, if you think that could be Peter, then so be it. But be careful, okay? In case it's not him, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Nobody's getting hurt unless he pushes me to stick with healthy food. And, in case you forgot, son, bad guys are my specialty. I think I can handle a short dinner with one of them."

"Fine. But promise me you won't hesitate to shoot him with a magic bullet if he tries something funny, okay? We could always go with self-defense. You're the sheriff. Nobody's going to question your judgment."

"You do realize he's Derek's uncle, the only living member of his family."

"So what? I don't think he's very fond of him!"

The sheriff chuckled. "Well, then I'll have to find a way to eat what I want and stay safe without shooting your boyfriend's uncle. Happy now?"

"Yes, thank you."

Stiles tried to pay attention to his meal but it was no easy task. He might have accepted his dad going out with Peter for one night, but that didn't mean he was going to let him become a sitting duck. He would be prepared in case his dad needed backup. He wondered if Derek knew anything about this disaster.

* * *

"Yeah, he mentioned a couple of times he might go through with it. I guess he finally did."

Stiles gasped and clutched the phone. "I don't know which part of your answer infuriates me the most! He mentioned it but you didn't tell me? Even when he brought it up again, you still didn't tell me? And, how can you be so calm and composed when the local hero is going out with the evil mastermind? The hero could get into some serious trouble or they could join forces! I don't know which one would be worse!"

"What are you so worried about? It's just one meal."

"It usually starts with one meal! Then there's coffee and drinks and another meal and dessert and yet another meal and…"

"Stiles."

"Okay, it might be too soon to freak out but you know what Peter's like! He can be very convincing! When he offered me the bite, he made it sound like it was the one last thing I needed to complete my awesomeness! If you ask me, I think he'd make a kickass salesman! But I saw through his evil soul and refused because I'm not gullible! Unfortunately, my dad's different and he can be easily manipulated. I think he got it from grandpa. So could you see if you can change Peter's mind? Please? For me?"

"Is that really necessary? It's not like Peter can offer your dad a bite. He's not an Alpha anymore. And, I doubt he wants to do him any harm. The station's so understaffed at the moment. He wouldn't have needed to lure him out to dinner. And, maybe he'll stop being such a pain in the ass if he finally gets some. Think about it."

Stiles gasped loudly as if he was sucking in all the air in his room. "You're my boyfriend, Derek! You're supposed to comfort me! Not torment me with impeccable logic and disturbing mental images! Oh god, I think I'm gonna be sick…"

The werewolf laughed. "Relax, Stiles. I was kidding. You know how a good boy and a bad boy end up? It's just like in high school. The good boy's attracted to the bad one for a while before he realizes he's failing classes. Then he dumps the bad boy and signs up for voluntary work to redeem himself. Your dad's going to be fine."

"Okay, that's a little more comforting. So can I trust you to come over tomorrow? So we can talk about how we're going to follow them on Friday? You know I like to have backup plans. You can casually ask your uncle where he's taking my dad and I can borrow your super-hearing skills to eavesdrop on them."

"You mean abuse my ears."

"Oh, come on. Tilting your pretty head and focusing a little is far from abuse! Plus, the dinner's on me. We can think of it as a date with some fun on the side."

Derek took a moment to consider his options. "Are you going to withhold sex if I say no?"

"What? Of course not. I don't want to be that kind of a boyfriend. I simply trust you to make the right choice on your own."

"Then I'll make the _right_ choice by staying out of other people's business."

"But they aren't just other people! They're my dad and your uncle! And, don't you feel weird that another Stilinski/Hale couple could be on the horizon? Try to think about Friday dinner as a recon mission. We're just checking out the competition! I know you'd hate to lose. We're Team Alpha!"

Derek snorted before delivering the final verdict. "Good night, Stiles."

"Derek, wait. Derek…? Derek?"

The line was already dead.

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Scott whispered across the table while he fixed his wig. It was itching behind the ears.

"Do I look unsure to you? When I'm sitting here dressed like a girl? Do you know how much it hurt to wax my legs? And, why are you whispering?" Stiles pushed a long, blond hair out of his face.

"Because if I can hear Peter talk, he can hear me too!" Scott kept his voice low. He didn't want to enrage a violent werewolf; life was already tough without Allison.

"Relax. He's too focused on my dad to care about other tables. He better be." Stiles squeezed his fork and glared at the back of Peter's head. "And, I didn't bring you here to question my decision, buddy. Keep using those lupine ears. Let me know the second he says something vomiting. The rest, I don't need to know."

Scott nodded before holding his nose. "Exactly how much perfume did you use? Did you pour it by mistake or something?"

"Hey, I needed to cover both of our scents, okay? He could totally recognize the scent of our house on me and the lupine smell on you."

"Why is yours a 'scent' and mine a 'smell'? Are you discriminating werewolves?"

"Fine. Your lupine _fragrance_. Satisfied? Now focus and keep the channel open. Or you're paying for your share of the meal."

"Oh, hell no!" Scott's eyes widened and he quickly turned his head to check if Peter had heard him. "Phew, it looks our cover's still intact. But did we really have to pose as a male/female couple?"

"Of course! It's the best way to attract the least attention. Do you know how hard it was for Lydia to make sure I didn't look too beautiful? She has awesome makeup skills and I have an awesome face! It was torture for both of us!"

"I'm just worried Allison might get the wrong idea. I don't want her to think I'm dating other girls when I'm supposed to be waiting for her to come back."

"Why would she come here, Scott? It's not exactly a place for a father and daughter. I bet everyone's on a date here. Besides, even if she finds out, it might work to your advantage. Studies show that females are more attracted to males who attract other females."

"Really?" Scott perked up. "So should I take a picture of us and post it on Facebook?"

"Only if you want to lose your best friend and live in misery forever. Now keep tabs on that table, will you?"

Stiles went back to chewing his straw to death. It was a pricey restaurant and all he could afford was a glass of lemonade and a chicken salad. He was too distracted and furious to even think about eating, so the plate of salad was in front of the hungry werewolf. After all, he needed Scott to work his ears without any interruption from his stomach. He knew for a fact that a werewolf's stomach produced thunderous noise when it was empty.

"Oh, he says your dad has beautiful eyes." Scott pricked up his ears.

"Oh god, it's finally starting."

"And, they're even more beautiful when you look at them closely."

"Seriously? That's what he's going for? I thought he'd have better pickup lines! Who falls for that? It's the twenty-first century!"

"Uh, your dad apparently?"

Stiles' jaw dropped as he saw his dad turn suspiciously red. "That can't be a blush. Maybe he ate something wrong. Perhaps he has fever. Or I'm just imagining things. Hey, does he look a little red to you too?"

"Why else do you think I… Oh geez, his heart is racing."

"What?! You think he's gonna have a heart attack? So he's red because he's sick!" Stiles shot up from his seat before Scott kicked him in the shin.

"Oww! Couldn't you just tell me to sit down? My legs are vulnerable with no hair to protect them! I didn't even wear stockings because of the weather!"

"Shh! He's gonna hear us." Scott ducked his head and dug into his salad. If they were going to get caught, he might as well finish his meal.

Peter tilted his head at the familiar voice coming from a few tables behind. It sounded like the Stilinski boy. He had been too preoccupied with his cute date to notice his presence earlier. He had no idea why the boy smelled like he had been floundering in a sea of women's perfume, but he could make out the faint scent of lilac on the teenager. Given how he could smell it on the father as well, he could only assume that they had lilacs in the house.

"Is everything okay, Peter?" The sheriff wondered if he was a boring date. He hadn't been on a date in ages and nobody could be rustier than him even if they tried.

"Well, now that you ask, I'll have to say you've been hiding that addictive smile of yours. I'm wondering what I could do to change that. You know I was drawn in by your sexy smile among many other things." He heard a choking sound from the troublesome table and resisted snorting. He could do so much worse than this.

"Haha, I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe how nervous I am right now. I wouldn't blame you even if you regretted asking me out."

"Now don't hurt my feelings like that. I always know what I want and I keep my eyes on it until I get it. And, for the past couple of weeks, all I've been watching is you." He ignored the gagging noise followed by a strong odor of contempt.

"That's very flattering. I've actually seen you around here and there but I never thought you were checking me out."

"Then what did you think?"

"I thought you were making sure I didn't shoot your nephew for going out with my son."

Peter laughed and took a sip of his red wine.

"I have to admit I was tempted once or twice, ever since I found one of my cuffs around Stiles' bed post."

Peter rolled his eyes at the sound of a chair getting knocked down. It would've been hard to miss it even without werewolf hearing; he had to keep the sheriff's attention focused on him. "I can try to talk to Derek if that would make things easier for you."

"You would? You think you could tell him to wait until next year to do spicy things with my son?"

"No, that would only make the boys go for it more often. But I could teach him how to give Stiles the maximum pleasure. If they're not going to stop, they might as well make the most of it. You should know I'm very experienced with handcuffs and light bondage in general. Would you like to hear some of my fondest memories?"

Peter grinned as the smell of shock and horror rolled off both Stilinskis and the McCall boy. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of two sets of feet hurrying towards the counter. Now that the brats were out of the way, he could enjoy his date in peace. He would smooth the ruffled feathers of the sheriff and let him know what he would like to do with him for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Stiles was on his bed, chewing the end of his blond hair, when he heard the window slide open. Ever since he had told Derek that sneaking through the window was more romantic, his boyfriend had stopped ringing the doorbell.

"Derek!" He sprang forward and threw his arms around the werewolf. He was grateful for the quick response time even though it hadn't felt quick enough.

"Hey, are you all right? I almost didn't recognize you." Derek ran a soothing hand up and down his boyfriend's back as he observed the disguise with great interest.

"I feel better, now that you're here. I didn't get changed in case you wanted to meet Stilia Stilinski." Stiles left the muscular arms and took a step back to let Derek take in the sight of him.

"She has blue eyes, like mine before I became an Alpha."

"Yeah, Lydia insisted I needed to change my eye color to complete the look."

"You look gorgeous." Derek pulled the teenager back into his arms before frowning at the weird sensation. "What are these digging into my chest?"

Stiles swatted the hand that came up to his breasts. "Hey! You can't just cop a feel like that! Where are your manners?"

Derek pushed his face between Stilia's breasts and sniffed. "What are these? Bird seeds?"

"Yeah! Canary seeds to be exact. Don't they look real?" Stiles fondled the stuffed nylon stockings. "It was one of the most recommended materials on crossdressing websites!"

Derek had to laugh at his boyfriend's thorough research. "Why didn't you go with good, old water balloons? You only had to pose for a short time. It would've been easier."

"Duh, have you met me? My limbs flail out of control all the time! What if I accidentally stabbed myself with a fork? My boobs would've spilled all over the table and it would've gotten everyone's attention! We would've been forced to skip town!"

"You would've left me behind and taken off with your dad?" Derek felt his heart sting. He thought that they had settled into a solid relationship.

"No, you dumbass. I meant 'we' as in 'you and me.'" Stiles poked his seedy breasts and Derek's sculpted chest for emphasis.

"What about your dad?" Derek trapped the teasing finger in his palm.

Stiles shrugged. "I don't know. He has a job here and he may have found someone who'd look after him."

"Hey, you're overthinking it." Derek brushed the blond bangs to the side and kissed Stiles' forehead. "They went out on one date and we don't even know if it's going well. Besides, you think Peter's capable of looking after someone? Oh, please."

Stiles chuckled at the mocking tone and pressed his lips against Derek's cheek. "But Scott told me it didn't sound like Peter was lying when he used those lame pickup lines. Although I wouldn't be surprised if Peter has mastered the art of lying through his fangs, without his heart skipping a beat. Hmm, but it's kinda true that the Stilinskis have addictive smiles so maybe he didn't have to lie."

Derek smiled to see the smile in question; Stiles always mirrored his smiles. "Even if Peter's serious about getting to know your dad, that doesn't mean the sheriff wouldn't go to the end of the earth with you."

Stiles buried his face in the werewolf's neck and let out a wounded sound. "But he blushed, Derek. My dad doesn't blush. He forgot how to blush. Or at least that's what I thought. I was apparently wrong."

"Stiles, I can imagine it hurts to see your dad with someone other than your mom. But hasn't he been lonely enough? Think about how much lonelier he'd be when you leave for college." Derek hugged him tighter so that the words would sting a little less.

"I know. But I only have a year and a half left with him and I don't want to share him."

Derek swallowed a few times to keep the envy and bitterness down his throat. Sometimes it was impossible not to miss his father when he was near a father and son who cared so much about each other.

"Oh, Jesus… I'm so sorry, Derek." Stiles kissed the stiff throat a few times. He was slowly getting better at detecting his boyfriend's moods. "I shouldn't have whined about my dad in front of you. My bad."

"Don't worry about it. It's good to see you value your time with him while he's still around." Derek released the human and sat down on the bed.

"You're not mad at me? I should've been more considerate. Sorry." Stiles flopped down on the chair in front of his desk.

"Considerate? You? Have you met yourself?" Derek teased with a grin.

"You want me to answer that as Stiles or Stilia?"

"Come here so I can kiss you both."

"Oh, you kissing monster." Stiles skipped into the werewolf's arms and enjoyed a breathtaking kiss. His lip gloss made Derek's lips glisten and he forgot about the disaster. Derek's lips had a tendency to make him forget about everything else.

_Bleep._

Stiles jumped and pulled out his cell phone from the skirt pocket.

"Where did you get this blouse and skirt anyway? Don't tell me you bought them." Derek kneaded his boyfriend's ass while he unlocked his phone.

"Nah, these are old stuff from Lydia's aunt. She got 'cleansed' in one of those fancy retreats and lost a whole lot of pounds."

"Good for her."

"And for you too apparently. You can't keep your hands off me."

Derek was about to argue that it was just the new look that turned him on when Stiles squealed in horror. "What is it?"

"It's dad! He's going to get a drink with Peter!"

"And?"

"What do you mean 'And'? He's getting a drink with Peter! He's not coming home right away! Does this mean he managed to digest food in front of that oily creature? Do you think Peter's trying to get him drunk to have his wicked way with him? Oh god…"

"Stiles, your dad's a mature adult. He knows what he's doing. He'll be home just fine before you know it." Derek didn't give his boyfriend a chance to say another word and kissed him deeply. He would gladly help Stiles pass the time until his dad got back.

* * *

Stiles was draped over the werewolf after losing himself twice in the pit of arrrousal. Nothing had a more calming effect on him than listening to Derek's strong, regular heartbeat. It worked better than Adderall and it had no side effects.

He let out a contented sigh as he snuggled closer to his boyfriend. Derek was warm, they had showered together, and he had gotten more than he had hoped for with his drag. Everything felt right in the world and nothing could possibly…

"Uh, oh… The wheels inside my head just started to turn again. Quick! Lips!" Stiles lifted his head from Derek's chest and let his boyfriend kiss him. Where was partial amnesia when he needed it?

He tried his best to concentrate on Derek's face. His hands caressed the stubble on his chin while he deepened the kiss. Every time Peter's creepy face sneaked into his mind, he poured more love into Derek's. Why couldn't all the Hales be awesome as his? He felt bad for his dad who was stuck in a bar with a faulty Hale.

"Bleah, I give up. I keep seeing your uncle's face and it's ruining the kiss."

"Great. Now you've ruined it for me too." Derek shuddered and finished the glass of water that was on the nightstand.

"What time is it? Why isn't dad home yet? I didn't hear my phone make a sound, did you? Should I try his cell? Please tell me my dad wouldn't put out on his first date." He was about to go fetch some bleach for his imaginative mind when he heard the sound of a car engine through the open window.

"That's Peter's." Derek kindly informed his boyfriend who pushed his upper body out of the window.

"Derek! Hurry! Tell me what they're talking about." Stiles motioned the werewolf to come forward.

"Stiles, I thought we talked about this. I'm not going to invade someone else's privacy just for your curiosity." Derek stepped forward but made his opinion clear.

"Privacy? Who cares about privacy when my dad could be in danger?"

"Exactly what kind of danger do you think he's in?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking for your help!"

When his boyfriend didn't come any closer, Stiles gave up and leaned out farther. The two men were on the porch, seemingly speaking in a low voice. He couldn't hear anything but he definitely saw Peter's hand climb up his dad's shoulder to his face. "Oh, you're going to be sorry for that, mister."

Stiles fetched the lacrosse ball from his desk and threw it as hard as he could. He hoped that all the practice would be worth it and that he wouldn't hit his dad by mistake. He almost fell out of the window but Derek caught his legs. They both ducked under the windowsill before the men could see them.

"Ouch." Peter picked up the ball from the ground and looked up at the second floor. It didn't hurt but the message was clear; the son of his date didn't approve of him. He would have normally seen the ball coming but he had been distracted by the attractive face in front of him.

"My apologies, Peter." The sheriff winced as he recognized the ball. "I'm sure it's nothing personal. I haven't dated in a while so he's not used to seeing me with someone other than his mother. Give him some time and he'll come around."

"Don't worry about it. I understand. It's completely natural, especially since he's only a teenager." Peter put on a gentle smile.

"That means a lot to me, thanks. Is there anything I can do to apologize for him?" The date might have started awkwardly but he was determined to end it better.

"Well, I've been thinking about your lips all evening." The werewolf grinned.

The sheriff nodded but couldn't hide his nervousness as he looked down and rubbed his right shoe against the ground.

"Listen, if you don't feel…"

"No. I had a really good time tonight. A goodnight kiss would be a good way to finish a good date."

"Good." Peter knew that the fastest way to gain your date's trust was to use his favorite word.

The sheriff swallowed his nerves and brought his hand up to Peter's face. Werewolves did seem to have slightly higher body temperatures than humans. As Peter leaned in, he closed his eyes and decided to go with the flow. He had to trust his body to remember how to kiss.

"Dad! Why aren't you coming in already? Your curfew was twenty minutes ago! We have rules in this house for a reason!"

The sheriff let out a sigh. How did he get a hold of his megaphone? "You mean _your_ curfew!"

"I think you missed the memo, dad! It's the Stilinski curfew! That means it applies to both Stilinskis!"

The sheriff wanted to tell him that he was an adult and therefore didn't have a curfew, but he didn't want to broadcast their conversation to the whole neighborhood. "Fine! Give me a minute! I'll be inside right away!"

He waited until his son disappeared into the room but it never happened. "Stiles! I asked you to give me a minute!"

"What for? Dad, I really need you up here. I stubbed my toe pretty badly. It's bleeding!" Stiles acted as if he had lost some of the precious Stilinski blood.

The sheriff's expression changed at the alarming information. Excessive blood loss due to an intensely stubbed toe was a realistic possibility for his son. "I'm coming, son! Don't move and take deep breaths for me!"

"Okay. I love you, dad!" Stiles gave him his most grateful smile and saw his dad explain something to the bad wolf. It seemed like he wasn't in the mood for a kiss anymore.

"Yeeess!" He fist pumped the air and faced his boyfriend. "Quick! Bite me on the big toe!"

"What? I'm not into that sort of thing…" Derek looked away.

"You're half wolf, lover boy! Of course you're into biting yummy body parts! And, hey, how would you know whether you're into it or not when we've never tried it before?" Stiles slapped himself to stop picturing them exploring new kinks in bed. He only had a couple of minutes before his dad came upstairs.

"I'm not biting your toe, Stiles." Derek sat down on the floor with a frown.

"Come on, Derek. Open up and bite me! I swear my foot is clean. You cleaned me very thoroughly, remember?" Stiles tried to shove his left foot in his boyfriend's mouth while his arms were stretched wide to keep his balance.

"Stiles!" Derek pushed him away. "I'm not some dog that bites whenever you say 'Bite'. If you really want to see blood, you better start thrusting your foot into the wall."

"But that's not what I want to thrust! And, certainly not into a wall!" Stiles slapped himself again to stay on topic. He hoped that his dad didn't get the wrong idea about his red cheek and shoot his boyfriend.

"Please, Derek. Work with me here. It's in your best interest as well! I might lose my toenail if I actually stub my toe. Then I'll have to be rushed to the hospital and the doctor will tell me it's important not to do any strenuous activities, which we all know means sex!"

"Fine, give me that foot." Derek didn't hide his irritation. But before Stiles could get a chance to freak out, he made a shallow cut on the big toe with his claw.

"Ow…" Stiles joined him on the floor and inspected his toe. He hoped that his dad fell for the trick. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Try not to go into panic mode and get wheeled into the ER, okay? Call me if you need me." Derek kissed the top of Stiles' head before leaping out of the window. He didn't want to face the sheriff and get a lecture about how he was supposed to keep his son safe.

Stiles sat alone for a minute, wondering if he had pushed it too far. He was just looking out for his dad, right? Despite working as a sheriff, his dad had a fragile heart. He wouldn't allow it to get even a tiny scratch. And, there were so many good people in Beacon Hills. If he had to share his dad, if he was lonely, he would gladly help him find someone who didn't have a questionable character. His dad couldn't have enjoyed Peter's company, could he? As far as he was concerned, one date with Peter was enough. It was time to move on to other candidates.

"Let me see that foot, son."

Stiles looked up at his dad who was holding a first-aid kit. There was worry written all over his face but there was another layer right under it. His dad looked different and he blamed that unfamiliar layer. What was it? Contentment? Relief? Subdued excitement? "Hey, dad."

"Hey." The sheriff opened the kit and took a good look at the toe. He wasn't looking at a stubbed toe; the injury was inflicted by something sharp. His kid had lied to get him inside the house. His precious boy had harmed himself because of him. Peter had given him the heads up that he couldn't smell any blood from the porch, but the injury didn't feel minor. Whatever had cut his son had also ripped his heart open.

"So how was your date? Did you have fun?" Stiles didn't like how his dad's face had grown dark and painful. "Don't worry. It'll heal in no time. It doesn't even hurt!"

"I'm sorry, Stiles." The sheriff disinfected the cut and patted his son on the foot.

"Uh, I think that's my line, dad… I didn't mean to shout into the megaphone like that, sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Stiles scratched the back of his head.

"It's okay. If you haven't noticed, I have a pretty high tolerance for your suspicious activities." The sheriff grinned and put a band-aid on the toe.

"Suspicious activities! You make it sound like I'm a well-known criminal! The one you haven't caught yet because he leaves no evidence behind!"

The sheriff rubbed his son's short hair with affection. As fun as it had been to be out on a date, he had been concerned about his kid all evening. He inspected Stiles from head to toe in case he was hurt somewhere else. They would get over these difficult times together just like any other times. "Uh, Stiles?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you shave your legs? And, why are there seeds all over the floor?"


	2. Stiles versus the Voice of Reason

**Previously in 'The horror of another Halinski'…**

Stiles had heard from his dad that he was going out with Peter Hale on Friday night. Since Derek had refused to help him spy on them, he had taken Scott to the restaurant and they had posed as a female/male couple. Peter had been forced to chase them away by mentioning his love for bondage to get some privacy.

Stiles had come home and had introduced Stilia to his boyfriend who had helped him forget about the disaster. But as the arrrousal wore out, he had freaked out again and had stopped his dad from enjoying a goodnight kiss.

The sheriff had realized that his son had hurt his toe on purpose and had muttered an apology; he hadn't thought that it would upset his kid that much. Then he had noticed how Stiles had shaved his legs and how there were seeds all over the floor. What had his son been up to?

* * *

It was a bright Saturday morning in Beacon Hills but one boy wasn't his usual bright self. Stiles was sitting on the grass in his backyard with a complicated mind. He was feeding the remnants of his breasts to the birds that were having a feast. "Oh, you kinky little beasts."

He let out a sigh as he recalled the events of last night. At his dad's inquiry, he had come up with a ridiculous explanation (as usual) about his shaved legs and the birdseeds on the floor. The latter had been easy. He had gone with how they were for a school project and how he had spilled them by mistake. It happened all the time so his dad had just helped him clean up. The former had been trickier. On record, he had shaved his legs because there were only so much hair one bed could handle. He had explained that werewolves were hairier than humans even in human form (which was true) and that the Hales seemed to like their partners hairless (which was false). He had been counting on his dad being an old-fashioned guy. There was no way that he would shave his legs or any other part of his body to get into Peter's bed. As far as he was concerned, he had killed two birds with one stone.

'Okay, that's just inappropriate when I'm feeding birds and _saving_ them.'

After that, his dad had left the room ashen-faced without any further questions. Normally it would've been great, but he hadn't gotten an answer out of him if he had enjoyed his date.

'Let's face it. He was willing to kiss Peter goodnight. That means he had a great time, right? Oh, what does it matter… Peter's not the one for him. He'll realize it sooner or later.'

He patted the birds and finished feeding them before entering the house. The unforgettable scent of lilac welcomed him the moment he closed the back door. He had grown used to having lilacs in the house but it gave him a fresh sting today. Lilac had been his mom's favorite flower, and neither he nor his dad had been able to stop drenching the house with its fragrance. It was usually his dad who bought the flowers, but on the rare occasions that he forgot or didn't have the time, he covered for him.

It was now impossible to imagine the house without that particular scent. He had learned at school that the sense of smell was the most powerful memory trigger, but he had never brought it up to his dad. They knew that they had to move on but had no intention to. Or at least, that was what he had thought until his dad had gone out with Peter Hale. He wondered what his mom thought about her husband going out on a date.

He headed towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of water when he saw his dad sitting at the kitchen table. Without his sheriff uniform, he just looked like a sad man looking at the lilacs in the middle of the table. Giving up on water, he walked up the stairs with a gloomy face. What he and his dad wouldn't give to see his mom again…

He closed the door of his room and turned around. That was when he saw a creature outside the window. "Ahhhck! Isaac! You scared the hell out of me!"

The window was shut but he knew that the werewolf could hear him. He hurried to the window and let the visitor in. "Why didn't you ring the doorbell?"

"I saw Derek used the window now."

"But that's only for the romance!"

"What romance?"

"Urgh, never mind. But what if someone saw you up there? You should be more careful. There's only so much Derek and dad can do to protect you."

"Relax. I was pretending to fix the roof."

"With your bare hands?"

Isaac shrugged. "Nobody looks that closely."

Stiles recognized the nonchalant shrug. Like Alpha, like beta. "How did you know I was home?"

"Derek told me you caught up on your studies on Saturdays until he picked you up for a date."

"Damn. Am I that predictable?"

Isaac shrugged again. "Derek seems to think a regular schedule's healthy for your hyperactive mind."

Stiles was surprised. "How do you know that? He said that to you?"

"I'm his only beta. He tells me a lot of things. Sometimes with too much detail."

The teenagers shared an uncomfortable look. On the one hand, Stiles was glad that Derek had someone to talk to other than him. On the other hand, he hoped that Derek knew what to share and what not to.

"Uh, right. So what brings you here?" Stiles sat on his bed while offering Isaac his chair in front of the desk.

"I wanted to ask how Scott was doing. You know, after breaking up with Allison." Isaac twirled a few strands of his curly hair.

"He's horny as hell. Last night at the restaurant, he tried to rub his leg against mine under the table! He swore it was an accident, but pfft, I've been his best friend for ages! I can tell the difference!"

For some reason, Isaac seemed to perk up.

"So you think he's flexible? He must be if he doesn't mind rubbing against a guy."

"Oh, no. Yesterday I had girly legs. No hair and all smooth."

Isaac's face expressed confusion, doubt, and then horror. "Oh well, I guess I shouldn't judge my Alpha's kinks. It must be written somewhere in the Universal Declaration of Werewolf Rights."

"No, no. Okay, Derek did like my girly self, who's called Stilia by the way, but I wasn't in drag for him!"

As Isaac's eyes asked for more information, Stiles told him about his dad's date and how he and Scott had followed the men to the restaurant in disguise. The werewolf wouldn't have listened to any of it if it was before, but he had become docile since they had lost Erica and Boyd at the hands of the Alphas.

At some point down the road, Derek had had to ask for Peter's help so that Isaac would stop having nightmares. Peter had agreed to help under one condition: that Derek would give him a second chance. Derek had begrudgingly accepted and had done as he was told. It was all about solidifying the bond with the Alpha, so Derek had taken Isaac jogging every morning and hunting twice a week. Stiles had lost count of how many rabbits and deer he had eaten during those few weeks.

"Uh, so why did you come see me again? If you wanted to know how Scott was doing, you could've just called."

"That's not the only reason I'm here." The werewolf twisted the hem of his T-shirt.

"Come on, Isaac. Spit it out. I just told you I used birdseeds for my boobs. I think it's safe to say whatever you want to tell me's going to sound better than that."

Isaac cracked a smile. Stiles had his moments. "I want to ask if you think Scott would be opposed to something new. You know, relationship-wise."

Stiles rewound, in his head, everything that Isaac had said since he got here. "Oh wow, you have a little crush on Scott."

Isaac nodded, looking at Stiles' bare feet. It was weird to see hair on his toes when his legs were hairless. "What happened to your big toe?"

"That's another story for another day. Let's talk about this crush of yours. How did I not see this coming?"

"Because you were too busy emitting large amounts of pheromone around Derek?"

"Haha, very funny. I assume you want my help, so you better watch that mouth."

Isaac opened his mouth to bite back but soon shut it without a word.

'Good boy.' Stiles was pleased. "So what can I do for you?"

"Could you feel him out and see if I have a chance? I wouldn't mind if it's just physical for a while. It's not like I'm getting any."

"Okay, buddy, too much information. I'm glad Alphas don't have to provide their pack with that kind of service. I would've had to set you on fire. Hey, that gives me an idea. If you're up for some steamy werewolf action, what do you say to Peter?"

Isaac didn't like how Stiles' eyes sparkled with interest. "Peter who?"

"Who do you think? Peter Hale!"

Isaac started shifting before he could hold himself back.

"Okay, okay! You could've just said no!" Stiles shielded himself with a pillow to protect his organs.

He waited until the werewolf shifted back to deliver his last sales pitch. "I know he's a little older than Scott, but think about it. Age would mean more experience, right? Scott has only ever slept with Allison! A girl! And, doesn't Peter have really nice skin? He's a hottie! Plus, it's not like he's gonna say no to you! You're a hottie too! You could have him wrapped around your little finger!"

Isaac glared with his golden eyes and showed his long, sharp fangs. Unfortunately, that was enough for Stiles to drop the idea. "Fine. Let's get down to business then. If I help you with Scott, I expect you to help me with my dad. Quid pro quo."

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Not much. I just need to borrow your pretty ears." Scott had made it clear last night that he didn't want to rip his own ears off with his claws.

Isaac grinned. "Do you think my ears are pretty? You think Scott would find them pretty too? Maybe the right one, not the left one."

Stiles shook his head in disbelief. Now that they had helped him with depression, he had come up with a bigger problem. Unrequited love had to be worse than depression. He didn't think that Scott was bisexual but he had to give it a try. "Can I ask why it's Scott? With your looks and body, you could have anyone. Is it because he's the only werewolf around except for the Hales?"

Isaac shook his head, much to Stiles' surprise. "It's his words."

Now Stiles was just baffled. "I'm sorry. Are we talking about the same Scott McCall here? You fell for his _words_? Not the puppy eyes or the naivety?"

"Yeah, he makes it sound like he cares about me. Back at the club when we were trying to deal with Jackson, he told me he didn't want me to get hurt. It sounded like he meant it. He also told me he cried too when Dr. Deaton showed him how he could take someone's pain away. I don't know… I find it hard to admit I cried, you know. It makes you look weak."

Stiles knew how Isaac's late dad had treated him so it was more than understandable. It just felt incredibly sad to see a strong werewolf speak so weakly. "Hey, we all care about you. You know that, right? We're like a family. I know I'm not a werewolf and Scott's not in Derek's pack, but you know we're all here for you. We fought together and survived together. We probably have a much stronger bond than a regular family by now."

"I hope so. I've never done well with families…"

Stiles let go of his pillow and gestured for his visitor to join him on the bed. "If that wasn't crying out for a hug, I don't know what is."

He put his arms around the werewolf and tried to think about how his mom had used to hold him. He wanted Isaac to feel what he had once felt. Isaac was good at empathizing and this was a great opportunity to rely on that ability. When he felt slightly longer arms wrap around his shoulder, a big smile found its place on his face. They might miss their moms every day, but at least they had new family members to hold on to.

"Would you like to stay for the Stilinski brunch? Dad wouldn't mind. Or did you already have breakfast? Not that it would matter. You wolves always look hungry."

"Haha, thanks but I'll pass. Derek already invited me to the Hale brunch. He said he finished the kitchen table." Isaac released himself from Stiles' arms.

"Oh yeah? I'll have to check it out. Listen, are you free tomorrow afternoon? Scott and I have these Movie Sundays and tomorrow, it's at Scott's. Maybe you can come over and test the waters?"

"I could do that."

"Great. I'll tell Scott and text you the time."

"Okay."

The werewolf jumped out of the window before Stiles could recommend the front door. 'Oh well, it's probably good for his workout.'

_Knock-knock._

"Stiles, brunch is ready."

"Okay. I'll be down right away, dad."

Stiles closed the window and hurried downstairs. He had already activated too many brain cells today and needed to reward himself with a full meal.

* * *

Stiles had just finished impersonating one of his grandfathers with a milk moustache when the sheriff gestured at the butter. "Hand it over and nobody gets hurt."

Stiles loved it when his dad made him giggle with silly lines like that. "Here you go, sir. I know better than to hold the butter hostage from you."

"Smart kid." The sheriff buttered his toast with a happy smile. Butter was the one thing that had never disappointed him. Even when his wife had passed away, even when his son had driven him crazy with his antics, he had always been able to count on butter.

"So Derek's taking me out of town for a rock concert. What about you? You're gonna get a long nap and indulge in curly fries? I'll have to check the garbage later. But now that I've given you the heads up, you're gonna destroy the evidence! Damn!"

"Actually I'm going out to do some clay pigeon shooting. It's been a while."

"That's great! Gotta keep those shooting skills on top level. Moving targets can never be too easy. What time are you leaving?"

"After I see you boys leave safely with my own eyes."

"Cool. Derek will pick me up around 4."

"You're coming home late?"

"The concert's at 8 but Derek thinks we could be back around midnight."

"Good. Remind me to give him some gas money. And, I know he's a werewolf but if he looks tired, you do your part and take the wheel."

"I'd gladly do that if he trusts me with his Camaro."

"Then earn his trust. Show him more respect in his car. You could probably start by giving his sensitive ears and nose some rest."

"Nose?! But I've only farted twice in that car! And, once was because he tickled me to death! I had a near-death experience!"

"Jesus, Stiles. I was talking about smelly food. Did you really have to mention farting while we're eating?"

"But you didn't speak clearly! How was I supposed to know what you meant?" Stiles pushed the butter closer to his dad. "Here. Have another piece of toast. Butter solves everything, right? It'll get your appetite back."

Stiles wished that he could replace the butter in the house with low-fat margarine. But the last time that he had tried to do that, his dad's hand had moved to the right side of his belt where he normally carried the gun. 'Perhaps I could get 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!'. Maybe he wouldn't notice the difference. But then Lydia told me she _could_ believe it wasn't butter…'

He was about to take a spoonful of tomato soup when he noticed something weird about the way that his dad was using the butter knife. The cut of the butter wasn't determined enough for a man who considered himself a master at using that specific knife. "Hold your horses right there."

The sheriff paused for a moment and then resumed buttering. "What is it?"

Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Dad, I really hate to ask, but is there something you're not telling me?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Why wouldn't you answer me? It looks suspicious."

"Stiles, I've only had half a cup of coffee yet. Can we enjoy our meal without throwing any suspicions around?"

"But you haven't answered my question."

"What would I possibly hide from my own son? I think you boys have had a little too much fun delving into supernatural mysteries."

Stiles slapped his leg as he figured it out. "Oh my god! You're not going alone, are you? You're going shooting with Peter!"

"I'm not confirming or denying anything until my lawyer gets here."

"You don't have a lawyer!"

"I'm getting one right now."

"Dad, this is ridiculous. Your unwillingness to give me an answer already gave me an answer!" Stiles threw his hands in the air. "When did this happen? You didn't mention anything last night!"

The sheriff gave up. The sooner he dealt with it, the sooner he could return to his meal. "He texted me early this morning. He seems like a diligent man. I can appreciate that."

"He wakes up early because he's a werewolf! They don't need as much sleep as we do, thanks to their freakishly fast healing mechanism!"

"Son, there's always an exception to the rule but he doesn't seem to be one. That's good enough for me." The sheriff picked up his toast and ate it with renewed hunger.

Stiles made a strategic retreat and ate his soup. As long as he won the war, it didn't matter if he lost a few battles on the way. He might have to accept that Peter was diligent but he sure as hell didn't have to accept that he was safe to go shooting with. "Hmm, I'm not sure what to think about Peter carrying a shotgun around you. I know we've established he has no intention to hurt you, but what if he shoots you by mistake? Accidents happen all the time!"

"I'll wear a vest then."

"What if it's your head?"

"I'll wear one of those SWAT helmets too."

"You don't have a SWAT helmet!"

"My new lawyer's bringing it to me. And, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."

"So you were going to sneak out with a bad boy behind my back? That's why you asked me when I was leaving and coming home! You were planning a perfect crime! Wait, I think these should be your lines. Oh god, I never want to be a dad if this is what dads go through."

The sheriff chuckled at his son's pained expression as he took a sip of his coffee. "It's not all that bad. A dad gets to be proud when his son trusts his old man to keep himself safe and lets him go out on a date."

"Urgh… It's not that I don't trust you, dad. But if Derek hadn't already got the tickets, we could've joined you and I could've been your backup."

"Stiles, I promise I'll empty my clip in that good-looking face if he tries to cause any _accidents_, okay?"

"Fine." Stiles chewed on his bacon with a grumpy face. He felt like he was now impersonating the Sourwolf. 'Well, he's been less sour since we got together. It's great I get to see his beautiful smiles, hehehe…'

Sensing his son's sudden change of mood, the sheriff quickly took the opportunity. "One last thing, son."

"Shoot, dad." Stiles made a face as his own words reminded him of clay pigeon shooting.

"What do you think I should wear? He told me my legs looked amazing in those jeans I wore yesterday. But if I wear the same ones, that would be a little too much?"

"Oh my god, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this conversation. But if you really want to hear what I think, yeah, try wearing similar ones. But hey, maybe he won't notice the difference. He didn't seem to be terribly attentive."

"He's not blind, Stiles. Besides, he's a fashion designer."

Stiles scoffed. "What? Ahaha… Since when is he a fashion designer?"

"Since before the fire? He told me he was reluctant to ask me out while he was jobless but now that he sold a shirt to Coach Finstock, he feels like he's working again. Oh, and he even offered to make a fine suit for both of us. How kind is that."

"Wow, he said a lot of useless things on his first date, didn't he? A desperate man looks very unattractive, very."

The sheriff just laughed. He should be happy to have someone around who looked out so much for him.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the sheriff was bent over the clay pigeon thrower, making sure that everything was ready. It wasn't that he distrusted the assistant at the shooting range; he just wanted to show off to his date how knowledgeable he was about this activity. So it was rather unfortunate that his date's attention was completely focused on his ass.

"Okay, put in your earplugs. It looks like we're all set." He stood straight and headed towards the werewolf. He wondered why Peter looked a little disappointed. "Oh, did you picture one of those fancy automatic throwers? I don't think we have those in Beacon Hills yet."

Peter gave the sheriff a small smile. It was cute that he thought he would be disappointed over a thrower. "Don't worry. I'll get over it as long as you teach me how it's done. I know I'm the one who suggested this place, but this is my first time here."

"Is that right? I tried to teach Stiles last year but he was too worried he'd shoot himself in the foot. Looks like I got a second chance." The sheriff returned the smile.

Peter breathed in the scent of joy coming from his date and relished how open he was. Some people were so reluctant to share their emotions that it was tough to read them. As much as he appreciated the challenge, he liked it better when his dates shone with positive emotions.

"Come on. Let me show you how to fire a shotgun."

The werewolf picked up his gun but didn't bother to listen to the instructions. He already knew how to use a shotgun and just wanted to have the sheriff's arms around him.

"Like this?" He held his gun awkwardly and pretended to pull the trigger.

"No, you have to pull the gun closer to your body."

"Like this?" Peter congratulated himself for being such a wonderful actor. One would think that he only had the looks but he also had the talent.

"Uh, not really… Let me help you with that. You've only ever used your claws, am I right? No guns at all?" The sheriff moved behind Peter.

"That's right. They're my most reliable weapon. I can catch bullets so I've never needed a gun even for self-defense."

"You'll have to show me that sometime."

"With pleasure."

Peter grinned as the sheriff wrapped his arms around his shoulders to help him hold the gun. The kind man started to talk but he found himself drawn into fantasy land once more. He could be pulling a different kind of _gun_ closer to his body. He would put the right amount of pressure and pull it with precision, making the sheriff happy until the gun emptied its contents.

"Got it." He responded instinctively when the talking stopped. "Can you help me with the first few shots though? Just to be sure."

"Of course." The sheriff stood even closer to the werewolf despite being a little nervous about the amount of cologne he had used. He had asked Derek earlier, but who knew if the boy had just been polite.

"Mm, I can appreciate your taste for cologne. You smell nice."

"Haha, thanks. I was worried I might offend your olfactory sense." The sheriff hoped in vain that his faster heartbeat would go unnoticed.

"Not at all. I'm quite delighted." Peter winked and looked ahead, giving his date a chance to blush freely. Very few creatures on Earth were known to be immune to the notorious Hale winks.

"Pull!" The sheriff yelled after recovering from the wink. As the assistant released the target in the air, he guided Peter to fire.

"It's not as easy as it seems." Peter confessed innocently.

"Haha, yeah. People come here to get rid of their anger, but I think they go home angrier. Let's try it again. It's all about following your instincts, Peter. Pull!"

They shot down a target after the sheriff's order reminded Peter of his _gun_ fantasy three more times.

"Yes!" They cheered in unison and shared a high-five. When the sheriff was about to put his hand down, Peter laced their fingers with his werewolf speed. The emotions that he absorbed through the sheriff's palm made him glad that he had asked him out. They soothed him and gave him hope that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Ever since his family's house had been burnt down, all he had ever felt was the sickening urge to get revenge. Even when he had accomplished that mission, cutting wind had blown through his insides and had left him shuddering with loneliness and a deep sense of loss.

It was Derek who had opened his eyes to the possibility of finding happiness again. His nephew had found himself a strong human being with a big heart and a good head on his shoulders. If Derek had built up the courage to get over Kate and look for someone to love, why couldn't he? And, since he and Derek shared a good portion of DNA, if he got along so well with the Stilinski kid, perhaps he could do the same with his dad? That had been the thought behind his new quest.

"Are you okay, Peter? Is it your ears? I knew I should've gotten better earplugs for you." The sheriff caressed the top of his date's ear in apology.

"No, it's not that." Peter let go of the warm hand and took out one of his earplugs. "I can hear just fine. Let me prove it to you."

That was when he heard a fourth heartbeat. He looked around to see if someone had joined them but he couldn't see anyone. He concentrated a little harder and realized that it was coming from one of the bushes.

"What is it?" The sheriff looked down at Peter's claws.

The werewolf took a few steps towards the bush and sniffed the air. The scent was weak but familiar. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a rabbit with curly hair."

"There are rabbits with curly hair?"

"Yeah, some of the weird ones have brown curls. They also have asymmetrical eyes. I feel the urge to hunt it down and eat it raw, but what kind of a gentleman would do that on a date?" Peter smiled and put his claws back in. He could hear the startled _bunny_ leave in a hurry.

'I wonder if Derek gets to be the spy next. He's the only werewolf left after all.' Rolling his eyes, Peter watched the sheriff get into position. The kid could try all he wanted but he wasn't going to give up dating a man who looked so hot with a gun.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stiles was in his boyfriend's car, listening to the band that they were going to see. "Wake-up call~ Caught you in the morning with another one in my bed~ Don't you care about me anymore~ Don't you care about me, I don't think so~ Okay, I don't think this is appropriate to sing on a date. Dad said something about me abusing your ears anyway."

Derek chuckled as he kept his eyes on the road. "He's a great man."

"Of course he is. But no man can be perfect and he's the living proof! I don't understand what he sees in Peter!"

"And, it's not your place to understand. He's the one going out with Peter, not you."

"Huh, not in a supportive mood today? You're just begging me to keep singing. Six-foot TALL~ Came without a warning so I had to shoot him DEAD~ He won't come around here anyMORE~ Come around here, I DON'T THINK SO!"

"Stiles!" Derek winced as he grabbed the wheel with one hand so he could rub his ear with the other. "You know, before all of this happened, Peter wasn't too bad. Yes, he was annoying and so full of himself but he was all right."

"I thought you didn't really know him back then. And, did you just vouch for your evil uncle? Great men shouldn't get along with evil men!"

"You want to go down that road? You know what they say: opposites attract. And, if you keep saying no to your dad, he's only going to want it more."

"Urgh, maybe I should've told him to wear his Thanksgiving pants this morning. But that would've been too obvious. Ah, why is this happening to me… Haven't I been a good boy? Argh…"

Derek felt for his boyfriend who seemed to be genuinely bothered by the turn of events. He knew that Stiles had expected the sheriff to be done with his uncle after one meal and a drink. "You remember the day when we told your father about us? Remember how supportive he was?"

"Of course, Derek. How could I forget? I was terrified he was going to shoot you until you somehow managed to die."

Derek smiled and pinched the teenager's cheek. "Think about how miserable we would've been without his blessing. Forget about misery, I would've been in jail if he'd decided to charge me with statutory rape."

"Don't say that! We weren't even doing much back then!"

"I'm sure giving you handjobs is illegal, Stiles. My point is, he wouldn't have liked me at all, but he still put your needs and happiness first. If you really want to be a good boy, don't you think you should support his decision too? Even if you don't like it one bit."

"You're right. I keep telling myself the same thing but it's not easy. The few times I pictured dad going out with someone, it was always someone who looked like mom. But now I see Peter in that place and it's ruining everything!"

"Hey, I just want you to stop worrying over nothing. It won't be too late to freak out later if things get serious between them or if something worrying happens. For all we know, they may not go out together for much longer." Derek put a hand on his boyfriend's lap and tapped it soothingly.

"All right, you sexy voice of reason. I'll try to stay out of it. I can't promise anything but I'll try."

"So you're not going to make my beta work on Saturday afternoons anymore?"

"How did you know about that? I asked him to keep it a secret!"

But before Stiles could get an answer, his cell phone got his attention. "Speak of the devil… hello?"

Derek embraced himself for the upcoming release of the machine gun that was his boyfriend's mouth.

"What?! So you just left? But we had a deal! That was just to scare you! He obviously wouldn't have eaten you raw in public! You still filmed it, right?"

As Stiles' voice got higher and louder, Derek quickly looked for a diner. Since they couldn't have sex outdoors, especially outside the jurisdiction of the Beacon Hill sheriff's department, he had to get food in front of the teenager right now.

"Are you sure dad _caressed_ his ear? He wasn't trying to rip it off? How good is your eyesight? Maybe you were too far away? No, you're no James Bond! James Bond doesn't run away from his mission just because someone insulted his eyes! I don't care if he threatened you too! It was an empty threat! How could you not see that?"

'Where are those damn diners?' Derek's search got more and more desperate but even with his superior eyesight, there were no diners to be seen. He cursed under his breath and pulled over before grabbing Stiles' phone and throwing it in the back seat.

"Hey, I was using that!"

"That's the point." The werewolf unfastened his seat belt and leaned over the passenger seat. Then he turned Stiles' face and kissed him. He couldn't afford the boy hyperventilating with stress or passing out with shock. His heart was beating too fast and he needed to calm down.

Stiles clutched Derek's shoulders and poured his frustration into his mouth. 'Why couldn't I have better spies to work with? Should I try bugging dad's clothes? Or maybe I could get one of those tiny button cameras? Oh right, I just told Derek I'd try to stay out of it. Urgh, I wish I wasn't a man of my word.'

"Focus, Stiles. Or I'm leaving you here and going to find someone who'd kiss me back properly."

"Is this one of those empty Hale threats?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm focusing then. Get back here, sourwolf." Stiles wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck and kissed him. There was no better way to relieve stress than sharing an intimate kiss with his favorite ball of fur.

* * *

**Author's note**: If anyone's wondering, the song Stiles sang in the car was Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call" :)


	3. Stiles vs the Uncooperative Werewolves

**Previously in 'The horror of another Halinski'…**

Reminded of his mom by the lilacs in the house, Stiles had wondered what she would think about her husband going out on a date. He had caught his dad looking at the flowers with sad eyes, so he hadn't expected him to try to go clay pigeon shooting with Peter without telling him. Despite telling his dad that he trusted him to keep himself safe, he had sent Isaac as a spy and his dad's backup in exchange for helping him get into Scott's pants.

Peter had enjoyed pretending not to know how to use a shotgun and asking for the sheriff's help. The kind man's emotions had soothed him and had given him hope that he hadn't felt in a long time. There had been an intruding 'bunny' in the bushes but he had scared it away with empty threats.

Stiles had told Derek that he was going to try to stay out of his dad's dates, but the moment Isaac called, he hadn't been able to help himself. Unable to find a diner that would distract his boyfriend, Derek had pulled over and had kissed him to calm him down.

* * *

Stiles parked in front of Scott's house and turned off the engine of his Jeep. He pulled out the keys and grabbed the DVD of the movie that they were going to watch. He had chosen a James Bond movie so that his inept spies would see how well the work could be done even without superior strength or senses.

"Hey, you're nervous? You haven't said a word since I picked you up." He looked at Isaac who was biting his nails in the passenger seat.

"You haven't said anything either."

"That's because I have a lot on my mind."

"I thought that was always the case."

"Well, yeah, but today it's way worse. It's all because of that stupid footage."

"Hey! Don't criticize my work in front of me."

"I'm sorry, your _work_? You work with your hands, buddy. People would think you filmed that with your feet. I'm just glad I recovered enough to drive." He had felt absolutely sick after watching the footage of his dad and Peter. At first, he had thought that it was because of the content, but after a while, he couldn't be too sure. Apparently, the werewolf had a hand tremor or something.

"I offered to drive. You're the one who said no." Isaac opened the door and climbed out of the car.

"Yeah, that was kind of you. But I was worried you'd grip the wheel too tight and leave big handmarks on it. You look way too nervous, my friend. Don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right." Stiles patted the werewolf on the shoulder and walked up to the porch. As usual, Scott opened the door with a big smile before he had even rung the bell.

"Hey, guys! Come on in!"

Hearing his best friend's cheerful voice put him in a better mood. Stiles smiled back and ushered the guest into the living room.

"Make yourself at home. I'll get us something to drink." Scott disappeared into the kitchen while Isaac looked around the house. Stiles had put in the DVD and was looking for the remote control when he heard Isaac sniff uncontrollably. He turned his head, only to find the werewolf bent down near one of the end tables with his nose buried in Scott's keys.

"Psst, could you be any more subtle? Stop with all the sniffing. I don't think that's gonna give you a good impression. It's creepy."

"I'm a werewolf, and you and Scott both know it. It's not creepy."

"Sniffing other people's belongings is creepy whether you're a werewolf or not."

"Don't worry. I think it's adorable." Scott appeared with a tray full of beverages and snack.

Stiles totally saw Isaac give him a smug look that said 'I told you so.'

"He's like a cute wolf cub that's trying to learn all the different smells. I get it. I was like that too for a while." Scott put down the tray on the coffee table.

"He certainly was. He tried to learn all the different smells of Allison." Stiles was reminded of the days when his best friend had dropped most of their traditions and had left him sad and lonely.

"If you're jealous, I could always learn more about _your _smells." Scott playfully tackled Stiles to the carpet and tickled him.

"Wahahaha! Stop it! You know I could die from this! Ahahaha!"

"But I wanna know what you smell like when you're getting tickled to death." Scott's grin only got bigger. "Besides, I haven't heard you laugh all week."

Despite his condition, Stiles could feel Isaac's eyes on him. He knew that Scott was practically on top of him but this hadn't been his intention. "Scott! Hahaha! I need to breathe! Come on, man!"

Scott helped him sit up. He was satisfied that his friend had laughed more than in the past few days. That was when his cell phone rang.

"Oh, sorry, it's mom. I've gotta take this. Hello?" Scott took his phone and walked into the kitchen, knowing that his mom probably wanted to ask if she had turned off the gas.

While Stiles sat there catching his breath, Isaac judged him with his arms crossed. "Was that your version of helping me?"

"Of course not. Sorry you had to see that. I know Scott and I can look slashy but I swear nothing's ever happened."

Isaac sat down on the couch and opened a can of Coke. "If you say so. So what's the plan?"

"The plan is to occupy a lot of space on the couch so you'll have to sit really close to him. And, when the time is right, I'll leave, telling you guys that dad needs me to show up at the station with his curly fries. I trust you can take it from there." Stiles joined him on the couch and picked up the chips. Laughing hard was taking its toll.

"I suppose I could." Isaac rammed his right hand into the bag of chips.

"Great. So when I tap you on the arm twice, you're going to head for the bathroom and send me a text so I could pretend it's from my dad, okay?"

"Okay."

As Scott came back, they focused on the chips, chewing loudly.

"Are we good to go?" Stiles asked and got the movie started when both werewolves nodded. He moved to the right end of the couch and stretched out his limbs, forcing Isaac in the middle to sit closer to Scott. Pleased with the successful execution of phase one, Stiles opened a can of Fanta and laid his eyes on the screen.

The three of them alternated between snacking and commenting on the movie until Scott slid down the couch. Isaac reached out to him but Scott shook his head. "It's okay. I'm good here."

Isaac looked at Stiles for guidance who offered him a few hand signals. He followed the instructions and moved a little to his left so that he could put his legs around Scott's body. Thankfully, Scott didn't seem to mind the long legs touching his shoulders.

Stiles gave Isaac the thumbs up and let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried that the werewolf might've misunderstood him and would throw his legs on Scott's shoulders. There would be another time for that.

After that small incident, everything seemed fine for a while. The werewolves were into the movie and Stiles was daydreaming about Derek, comparing him to James Bond. (His boyfriend was hands down hotter.) But things took a different turn when Scott slid lower to the carpet and laid his head back against the couch.

Stiles hadn't realized that there was a problem until Isaac threw a Cheetos at his face. He glared at the perpetrator before eating it. He saw what was going on as Isaac pointed at Scott's head that was a little too close to his crotch. He shrugged his shoulders to ask why it was bothering the werewolf. Wasn't it a good sign that Scott felt comfortable enough around him to be in such proximity with his junk?

Isaac pointed at Scott and at his own nose. Then he gestured how things could get ugly if Scott were to move his head even closer to him.

Stiles made a disgusted face when Isaac pointed at the front of his pants and put up his index finger. Was that really necessary?

"What's wrong?" Scott asked with his eyes on the screen.

"Nothing." Stiles cursed his body for sending out a distress signal. He hoped that his best friend couldn't tell that he was lying but alas, Scott looked him up and down before moving to settle down between his legs.

Stiles opened his mouth wide and held up his hands as Isaac brought out the claws. His stress level must've gone up since Scott rubbed his ankles in a soothing rhythm. Stiles felt warm inside as his favorite friend of all time tried to make him feel better even though he was going about it the wrong way. Isaac's fury and jealousy must've been hard to miss, but he liked to think that Scott was more interested in calming _him_ down.

Isaac eventually gave up on getting closer to Scott or showing his dissatisfaction to Stiles and paid more attention to the screen. Javier Bardem had just undone a button on Daniel Craig's shirt. The more he got absorbed in the movie, the more he forgot about his primary goal. So when Stiles tapped him on the arm, he handed him the bag of Cheetos without even looking his way.

Stiles didn't know if he should be happy that he had brought the right DVD or unhappy that Issac had totally forgotten about their plan. He tapped the werewolf again but all he got was a weird glance and a cold "Leave me alone."

Frustrated, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and shook it in front of Isaac's face. But Isaac just looked at the wallpaper of Derek looking grumpy in his shirt before changing the subject. "Hey, don't you think British guys are the best? It's not just the accent. It's the whole package, complete with the slightly lost eyes and everything."

"Sure, buddy. At this rate, you'll have to cross the ocean to find someone anyway."

That remark did the trick. Isaac sprang up with wild and apologetic eyes before rushing down the hall.

"What's wrong with him?" Scott asked as he released Stiles' ankles. His friend now smelled satisfied.

"Oh, he probably needed to go to the boys' room badly." Stiles bit his tongue, feeling guilty that he had just made Isaac a scary werewolf with a small bladder.

"Oh yeah? So that's why he smelled alarmed and stressed out? Poor guy. He could've just told us and we could've paused the movie."

Stiles groaned into the cushion and finished his beverage. This mission wasn't going to be easy or pleasant in any kind of way.

_Bleep._

The long-awaited text finally came through and Stiles got up from the couch. "Sorry, dude, I should get going. Dad's having a hard time on his shift and needs me to fetch him some curly fries ASAP."

"Really? Okay, I'll finish the movie with Isaac then." Scott paused the DVD and stood up to give his best friend a hug. He knew that Stiles had spent a difficult week because of his dad.

Of course, Isaac had to come back at that very moment and give Stiles the stink eye. Stiles silently pleaded not guilty once more and hugged Scott back before getting out of the house. He needed a break from all this 'Who likes whom?' business and he knew exactly whom to call.

* * *

"I'll try this one too." Lydia announced as she draped yet another summer dress over Stiles' arm.

"Excellent choice." Stiles made sure that the burgundy dress didn't fall off his arm as he followed her to another rack. He looked around to see if there was a long line in front of the fitting room. If that was the case, he could offer to go stand in line. Thankfully, there were only a few customers but the notice on the wall caught his eye. He counted the dresses on both arms before bringing up the matter. "Hey, it says you're only allowed to take up to six items. We already have six."

"Six? Not eight? Hmm, they must've changed their policy very recently. Let's head over then." Lydia strutted towards the fitting room with Stiles hot on her heels. She stood in line and took the yellow dress from his arm to try it first. "School's going to be out in the next couple of weeks. Have you started looking for a summer job?"

"Not yet. I was going to do that this week, but you know where my head has been. What about you?"

"I didn't apply for that internship I told you about. I thought I could use some rest, but now I'm not sure if I want that rest."

Stiles nodded. Ever since Jackson had left town with his family, his closest friends Lydia and Danny had been suffering from the loss. Apparently, the whole kanima drama and the narrow escape from getting killed by the Alpha pack had been too much for Jackson to handle. They had understood his decision but had been deeply sad to see him leave.

"Maybe I'll just get a part-time job at one of these stores and enjoy the employees' price discount." Lydia walked into the empty stall as Stiles sat outside with the rest of the dresses. "How's Derek's carpenter business going?"

"There's no business yet. He's only made a table for his kitchen so far."

"Promising start. Have you seen it?"

"Nah, I'm going to check it out after we're done here. He told me Isaac and Peter liked the table. I'm not surprised. He's pretty good with his hands." Stiles couldn't keep the pride out of his voice.

"Given your sad puppy looks, maybe he should do a bit more with those hands."

"Haha, yeah, I wish he was allowed to stay for the night but…" Stiles got up and whispered near the curtain. "Dad and Derek both said no until I turn eighteen. I told them nobody would check who comes and goes, but they wouldn't have any of it."

"Wise decision." Lydia drew back the curtain and posed in her yellow dress.

"I can say the same thing about yours. We're taking this one."

"Fine. Hand me the purple one."

"Right here at your disposal, Princess."

"One day I shall be queen." Lydia patted him on the cheek and disappeared behind the curtain.

Stiles sat down again and smiled as he thought about how far they had come. All he had wanted in life not so long ago was to follow Lydia around and to be ready to throw himself at her feet. He got to do that now but it wasn't as her boyfriend, and yet he was more than fine with the arrangement. He still found her absolutely amazing, but he had started to see that a childhood crush was only a childhood crush.

Over the past few months, they had bonded over the cruelty and tragedy unfolded before their eyes and the joy and relief of survival. When Jackson had left, she had come to cry in his arms. On the anniversary of his mom's death, she had sent him a bouquet of chrysanthemums and a box of chocolate. Now, he tried to make her laugh with clever jokes and silly impersonations while making himself available for the times when she needed a guy to help her out.

"What do you think about this one?" Lydia appeared and did a graceful 360˚, reminding Stiles of the day when they had gone ice skating.

"You look like an angel."

"Really? What kind of an angel?"

"The kind that has the highest fashion sense to buy this dress?"

Lydia seemed pleased enough with his reaction and went back inside with the rest of the dresses. "So are you still being snappy with everyone else or have you learned how to rise above?"

"You think I'm snappy?"

"You just don't seem like yourself. It's perfectly understandable, but don't forget you're surrounded by werewolves with anger management issues. Those claws could leave nasty scars on your pale skin."

"Aww, did you just say I have perfect skin? Why, thanks, Lydia. I didn't know you thought so highly of my skin." Stiles grinned as Lydia poked her head out to give him a soft glare. "But yeah, I know I've been on edge all week. I can't seem to accept the fact that my dad has moved on and it's really frustrating."

"Tell me about it. Sometimes I look at my phone and wonder why Jackson's not sexting me. Then I realize he left and he probably sexts some other girl now. At least you found someone in all the mess when I lost someone."

"That, I did. I just expected him to be on my side, you know. But nope, he has to be the voice of reason and be all mature and rational. Actually, you're the only one who helped me properly. Stilia was amazing."

"Of course she was. I take my makeup work very seriously."

"Perhaps you could work at a makeup place then?"

"You don't think I'll do well running around with clothes, telling other girls they look fabulous when they don't?"

"I didn't say that. But wouldn't it be a real shame if those pretty hands of yours didn't get a chance to produce magic on those non-fabulous girls?"

Lydia poked out her head again. "Just so you know, you're getting ice cream today. You've been a good boy."

"Haha, glad to know someone thinks I'm a good boy." Stiles laughed bitterly.

"Don't give me that sad puppy treatment. I'm already buying you ice cream. I'm not sacrificing one of these dresses to buy you cookies too."

Stiles chuckled. It was too bad that he couldn't give his friend a hug right now. He would have to wait until she came out, showing off her fabulousness.

* * *

Peter was sitting on a chair watching his nephew work on his design worktable when he got a brilliant idea.

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it." Derek cut him off as soon as Peter snapped his fingers.

"But you don't even know what I'm going to say, dear nephew."

"The fact that you just called me 'dear nephew' confirms my gut suspicion. Forget about it."

"Just hear me out, Derek. You might be more interested than you think. As your uncle, I simply want to present you with an opportunity to make yourself more useful and earn a little cash. You're not going to feel awesome about yourself as much as I do, but it should help with your self-esteem issues too. I get you're not the type to spill your guts, so I'm trying to find you a different kind of therapy."

"Funny you should say that when you clawed my guts. And, I thought my woodwork covered all that." Derek sanded the wood with brutal strength.

"I'm sure it does. But what if I told you there's a way to double the pleasure? There are only so many hours in a week you can work as a carpenter with the same amount of enthusiasm."

"What are you suggesting?" Derek looked up, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He wanted Peter to say whatever he wanted to say and get out of his way.

"I'm willing to offer you the honor of being the main model of Peter Hale's Collection. I'm opening a website for my fashionable men's wear. Isn't this exciting?"

"I stand by what I said: forget about it." Derek got back to work.

"Aww, if you're worried about fangirls and fanboys following you around, there's no need. We'll chop your head off." Peter smiled amiably. "In the pictures."

Derek picked up his axe and whirled it around.

Peter turned his chair backwards just in case. "Listen, allow me to sweeten the deal. I'll also hire Stiles as the photographer and pay him generously. I hear he needs a summer job and hasn't found one yet? Or would you rather have someone else take pictures of your half-naked self?"

"Why would I even be half-naked when you're selling clothes?"

"Are you hearing yourself? How else do you propose I sell pants and belts?" Peter had never heard such a stupid question before. "You'll have to consider the opposite scenario as well. Let's say you keep your head in your fine ass and force me to find another model. But what if that boy of yours agrees to join my promising business? Would you be comfortable with him taking half-naked pictures of some other hot guy?"

The axe left the Alpha's hand and lodged in the back of Peter's chair. "Exactly my point. So you'll have to think about it. I think Stiles is a clever boy who's eventually going to see past our differences and take the opportunity."

Derek looked around for something else to throw, but the sound of a familiar Jeep distracted him.

"Would you like to ask him on my behalf or should I do it myself?" Peter got up from the chair and smoothed his shirt. He didn't want to give the sheriff's son another reason to disapprove of him.

"I thought you wanted a second chance with me. Don't you think it's too risky to mix family and business when you suck at both?"

"Well, you clearly haven't got the facts right. Perhaps you should try to bang your head a little less on the headboard. Keeping a safe distance isn't limited to the road, Derek. And, let me remind you that I used to sell quite a number of garments."

"To old ladies who didn't know any better."

"Don't insult the ladies like that. They had excellent taste and wanted their husbands to look their best. But the circumstances have become much better anyway. Now I have a muse."

"A muse? You went out with him _twice_."

Peter didn't get a chance to defend his newly found inspiration as his future photographer knocked on the door and walked in.

"Oh, hey, you didn't tell me Vera Wang would be here." Stiles threw Peter a cold look.

"I happen to live here, Stiles. And, unlike myself, Miss Wang seems to be committed to wedding gowns."

"I'm sorry. Did you say something? I couldn't hear anything over your oiliness. Your words just kept slipping off my ears." Stiles picked his ears with a frown.

Peter didn't know whom he blamed more; the fierce kid who thought that he was oiling his way into his father's life or his nephew who was enjoying a subdued snigger. He knew that the path to redemption wasn't going to be easy, but he wished that he could get a little sympathy. He wouldn't have been forced to do all the things that he had done if his life hadn't been ripped apart for no good reason. "Tell your father I said hi. Oh wait, I could do that myself. In fact, I just talked to him an hour ago and asked him out again. He was so excited that I could hear his heart racing over the phone."

Derek had to pull the teenager to his chest to prevent a gruesome fight from going down in his living room. What was the point of rebuilding and furnishing the house if there was going to be blood and flesh all over it?

"Let go of me! I'm going to kick him out of our lives once and for all!" Stiles struggled to get away from Derek but the werewolf was too strong.

"Would you like to know where I'm taking him this time? I initially asked him to come with me on a romantic trip for the weekend, but his work got in the way. So we had to settle with that new hotel that has a fantastic pool."

"Oh no you didn't!"

"What was interesting was that he didn't know where his swimming trunks were anymore. So you know what I did, Stiles? I offered to make him a pair. I already have so many designs in my mind and I can't _wait_ to take his measurements."

Derek glared at his uncle who had a teasing grin on his face. It was always like this. Peter had fun messing with his boyfriend and he was left to pick up the pieces.

"Derek, let go of me! I need to get my Jeep and slam into him until he dies! He can swim all he wants in the deepest sea of hell!"

"Stiles, you need to calm down before an ambulance has to slam into the ER." Derek held the boy's waist with one arm and put the power drill away with the other. He wanted to avoid spilling blood on his new floor at all costs.

"Well, I'll be in my room sketching ideas if you boys need me." Peter waved cheerfully at the little Chihuahua that was boiling with rage and headed upstairs. Teenagers were so easy.

As soon as Peter was out of the picture, Derek put his boyfriend on the table that he had been working on. He stood between Stiles' legs and kissed him on the forehead. "Your hair's getting longer." He ran his fingers in the boy's hair.

"Really? _That's_ what you have to say right now?" Stiles' tone was accusing but he couldn't resist leaning into Derek's touch. "But yeah, I couldn't work a haircut into my schedule. I was going to do that earlier, but Angel Lydia bought me ice cream. It was chocolate and it was awesome~" His mouth watered at the delicious memory.

"Why don't you keep it this way? I like it." Derek pressed his lips against the soft hair.

"You didn't like my buzz cut? I thought it made me look athletic."

"The buzz cut was cute but I like this style better. I finally have something to hold on to." Derek pulled Stiles' head back by his hair and kissed the exposed neck. He added a solid pelvic thrust to make his point clear.

Stiles gasped and thrust back instinctively. "Oh my god, you kinky beast. I'm definitely keeping it long!"

With Derek playfully nibbling his throat, Stiles was able to look over his shoulder. He wasn't familiar with werewolves' decorating traditions, but a chair with an axe stuck in the back didn't look too cozy. "Uh, I think you might need a new chair, Derek. Unless your guest list is full of lumberjacks and axe murderers."

Derek turned his head and remembered what had happened to the chair. "Oh, yeah. I didn't like that one."

"I can tell." Stiles mourned the death of a perfectly good chair before grabbing Derek's shoulders. "I need a kiss on the mouth, preferably with your hands in my hair. Maybe you'll get a taste of that ice cream."

"Maybe I will." Derek smiled and leaned in for a kiss, putting his hands where he had been told.

Stiles pushed his own hands under his boyfriend's wife beater and explored the world beneath it. It would be rude not to show his respects to the godlike abs. A moan left his throat as he felt Derek's fingers slide along his scalp. He wanted to move things upstairs but there was a piece of business to conduct first.

"Lydia asked if I've started looking for a summer job." Stiles caught his breath with his forehead against the werewolf's. "I didn't have time to look yet, but I'm not sure what to look for. There's no way I'm selling detergents in the mall like last summer. Scary ladies pinched me far too many times and I had nail marks all over my cheeks. And, not just the cheeks up here on my face."

Derek laughed, picturing a younger Stiles with red cheeks and pouty lips. "So you don't have anything in mind?"

"Actually I do. I just don't know if it's the right place to look. See, I was wondering if you had a job opening in your business. At first, I thought it would be weird to get paid by your own boyfriend, but then I thought about what's on TV these days. And, guess what! It's trendy to sleep with your boss! You know, Suits, White Collar... I'd be the cute guy who could use a little guidance and you'd be the hot boss who's crazy about his brilliant subordinate! We'd make a perfect team!"

"And, how do you think you could help me?" Derek decided to indulge his boyfriend. It would be healthy for him to stop obsessing over his father's private life even for a short while.

"Perhaps I could help you with sales and computer work. I could take care of the orders and put my silver tongue to use." Stiles stuck out his tongue and showed off its flexibility.

"Hmm, I think I'll need to test that tongue myself, just to be sure."

Stiles chuckled at the cheesy line. "Didn't you just do that? And, I'm not sure if that's TV material. It sounds like porn, Derek."

"Did you say porn?" Derek rubbed his right knee against the boy's crotch until he got a satisfying moan. "No porn's complete without filthy moans."

"That's right but you can't distract me like that. I have things to do…" Stiles tried his best to get his arrrousal under control.

"Like what? Pushing that tongue down my pants and getting me ready for you?" Derek leaned forward and licked Stiles' earlobe.

"Okay, that definitely sounds like soft porn. But nope, I want to ask you to think about my job application and get your permission to see the kitchen table."

"Fine, I'll think about it." Derek suddenly had a lot to think about. "And, the table's in the kitchen."

"Well, I certainly hope so. It's called a kitchen table." Stiles giggled and gave the werewolf a short kiss before walking into the kitchen. He was proud that Derek was actively trying to put his past behind. It was also a relief that he had found a job that he could excel at.

"Wow, it looks just like you!" Stiles instantly grew fond of the table. It seemed to have healthy skin, a reliable back, and strong legs. He wondered if ridiculous compliments would work on Derek as well as on Lydia. He wanted to be a supportive boyfriend. "This is freaking awesome! Michelangelo couldn't have sculpted a better table than this. It's only a matter of time before everyone in Beacon Hills starts buying your stuff! Then you could go national and eventually take over the world!"

Derek snorted but had to admit that it felt good to get such positive feedback. According to the steady heartbeat, Stiles wasn't even lying. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. But every product needs to be tested before going out on the market. I know you've used it since yesterday, but there's more than one way to test a table. I'm sure you'd like to be thorough since it'll have your name on it and everything."

Derek laughed. He knew where this was going. "You want me to bend you over the table."

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm talking about. It's like you can read my mind!" Stiles couldn't hide his excitement. He wanted to feel Derek's wood against Derek's wood. He wanted to feel all the woodiness in Derek's wood all over the wood in the wooden house in the woods. 'Okay, now it's just getting confusing…'

"But this is where I eat, Stiles. How about the other one you were sitting on?"

"What's that one for?"

"It's Peter's worktable." The werewolf cackled.

"Sold!" Stiles cackled with him before running out of the kitchen. "Catch me if you can~! I feel like running off some of my energy~"

He ran through the back door as fast as he could. Their final destination would be the bad wolf's worktable, but it didn't mean that they couldn't have some fun on the way. He knew that Derek loved to chase him, and he loved it when Derek tackled him to the ground before throwing him over his shoulder. It served as valuable material for his fireman fantasy.

Derek gave his boyfriend a head start by drinking a glass of water. Stiles ran remarkably well for a human being, but he wanted the chasing game to last. After briefly stretching his limbs, the werewolf put his hand on the kitchen table and jumped over it. 'Mm, nice and sturdy.'

Pleased with his handiwork, he sprinted out of the house and chased the guy whose heart was fluttering all over the woods and all over his heart.

* * *

**Author's note**: In case anyone needs the info, the movie that the boys were watching was the newest James Bond movie, "Skyfall" :)


	4. Stiles versus Peter's Offer

**Previously in 'The horror of another Halinski'…**

Stiles had invited Isaac to his and Scott's Movie Sundays, but Scott had been more interested in making sure that his best friend felt better after a difficult week.

Stiles had followed Lydia to the mall and had confessed how hard it was to accept that his dad had moved on. Lydia had told him that she had the same problem with Jackson. They had talked about getting a summer job but neither of them had started looking.

Peter had offered Derek a chance to be the main model of his collection and had told him that he would like to hire Stiles as his photographer. Then he had teased Stiles about how he was going to make his dad a pair of swimming trunks and take him to a hotel pool this weekend. Not wanting to upset his boyfriend even more, Derek had kept the offer to himself for now.

* * *

"Good morning, dad!" Stiles slid down the stair rail with his backpack slung over one shoulder. It was Monday morning and he had to be at school in less than an hour.

"Morning… son…"

Startled, Stiles' eyes shot to the source of the dying voice. His dad was doing squats in front of the TV like a frog practicing its pre-leap movement. "What are you doing?"

"It's called… morning exercise…"

"I'm sure it is. But you usually jog a few miles. What's with the new routine? It looks like you're about to get a cramp in your legs."

The sheriff grabbed the bottle of water and took a swig. "Peter offered to make me a pair of swimming trunks. He wants to take my measurements in a few days."

"Yeah, I heard. He sounded disgustingly excited about it." Stiles frowned at the awful memory.

"He did? Damn, I should do ten more." The sheriff clenched his teeth and got back into position.

"Eh, you're sure you'll be able to walk after that? Maybe that's enough for a day."

"Don't worry, son… I have sheriff muscles… If those ladies on TV can do it… I surely can… Oh, by the way… I'm skipping bacon and butter this week… just so you know…"

"You're denying yourself butter? Is this about the hotel pool?" Stiles had to laugh. "Dad, you're not going to lose much weight in less than a week. You know that. And, you look totally fine so just be your happy buttery self."

"Have you _seen_ Peter's arms?" The sheriff downed the rest of the water and headed for the kitchen.

"No, I try not to see him at all if that's possible. And, please don't start serenading his biceps. I'd like my appetite intact." Stiles sat down at the table and took off the plate cover. He was grateful that his dad had already prepared them breakfast.

"Well, if you don't want me to talk about perfect arms, let me talk about this friend of mine who's looking for a photographer. You still have that camera I got you when you tried to be a P.I?"

"Sure! I love that camera! I still use it." Stiles thought about all the pictures of his boyfriend that were hidden in that gem. Most of them were taken while Derek was taking a nap. He looked so peaceful and carefree without the weight of a man who lost most of his family in a fire and of an Alpha who lost two betas in a fight.

"Good. Because he asked me if you'd be up for it and I told him I'd check with you. He thought you might be interested since he's willing to pay you well."

"Cool! But what kind of pictures are we talking about? I hope it's not something overly artistic like pedicured feet on dirty manholes. Bwhaha, did I just say 'dirty man hole'? Ahahaha…"

The sheriff ignored his son's inappropriate cackles. "I hear it's about models? Does it sound like your type of art?"

"Models?" Stiles almost choked on his eggs. "That's awesome!"

"So I'll let him know you're taking the job."

"Yeah! How could I not! I hope Derek won't be a green-eyed wolf though. He has to know I only have eyes for him."

"I'm sure he'll understand. Ah, this is great, Stiles. He's a dear friend of mine and I'd feel better knowing you're in good hands. He'll forgive you even if you make a few mistakes."

"Haha, well, let's hope I won't accidentally drool on those models. It has to be better than taking pictures of Mrs. Norris cheating on her poor husband." Stiles lamented the death of his short P.I career.

The sheriff shoved the bagel down his throat along with the guilt. He needed his son and Peter to get along and he couldn't miss this golden opportunity. He hoped that they would find some common ground and learn to be mature around each other. He knew that most of the work needed to be done from Stiles' side, but Peter had admitted that he couldn't stop himself from teasing the kid whenever he was around.

"So do I know this friend of yours? I thought I knew most of your friends." Stiles finished his soup in a hurry.

"Why don't we talk about this later? You don't want to be late for school. And, you're the sheriff's son. Remember that when you speed through town." He emphasized his point with a finger to his son's face.

"All right. I'll leave early so I won't have to speed through. Anyway please tell your friend I'm eternally grateful and I'll do my best to please him."

'You probably don't want me to do that...' The sheriff swallowed his thoughts and nodded with a small smile. Since Peter had told him that Derek was already aware of the offer, his kid was bound to find out the truth pretty soon. 'Oh well, I'll deal with the shitstorm when it comes. It's not the first one and it won't be the last one either.'

"Do you want some gas money?" He reached for his wallet at the end of the table and pulled out a few bills.

Something smelled fishy but Stiles didn't have time to put his detective skills to use. "Sure. Thanks, dad."

He took the money and got up. They were going to do reviews in class to prepare for the finals and he couldn't be late.

* * *

The minute Stiles took a seat next to Scott, he got slapped on the arm. "Ow…"

"Dude! You didn't answer my call yesterday. How long were you at the station?"

"Not for long. I dropped off the curly fries and went to Derek's. My hands were busy when you called, sorry. My mouth too." Stiles grinned as he thought about Derek's sex face.

"Eww. Don't do this to me, Stiles. It's too early for this."

"We were supposed to be busy on Peter's worktable, but it was gone when we got back to the house. I guess he eavesdropped on us and took it away. Anyway what did you want to talk about? You didn't call again so I figured it wasn't urgent."

"It's not, but it's kinda important." Scott looked around to make sure that Isaac was out of earshot. "I don't think Isaac's perfectly healed."

"What are you talking about?"

"He acted strange yesterday after you left. Maybe he's still depressed."

"What kind of strange?"

"He rubbed his leg against mine!"

"But isn't that a werewolf bonding act? You tried the same thing on me."

"I told you that was an accident!"

"Then maybe Isaac's was an accident too."

"But it didn't feel like it! He also looked at me with really sad eyes when he thought I wasn't looking. So I had to share my emergency cookies with him. Now I need to get a new stash before the finals."

"Aww, I should've seen that. Two wolf pups sharing cookies. How adorable." Stiles put his hands on his heart. As expected, the fastest way to Scott's heart seemed to be relying on his compassion. He needed to make Isaac the saddest wolf pup in the world.

"So will you talk to him? I asked what was bothering him but he just gave me a really sad smile. So we shared my emergency chocolate too, urgh."

"Aww, double aww! But what makes you think he'll talk to me when he didn't talk to you?"

"Doesn't he trust you more? You're the one who's dating his Alpha."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do. But I think it's really sweet that you went out of your way to make him feel better. You totally care about him." Stiles grinned.

"Well, yeah. He's pack, sorta."

"So if he wasn't 'sorta pack', you would've cared less about him? When he's such a lonely boy with no family and a dreadful past? When all he wants is to have someone who'd care about him? And look out for him?"

Scott knitted his brows. "Is this some kind of a trick question? Can you ask me again after lunch when I'm more awake?"

Stiles chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder. 'And yet, he said he fell for his _words_… Oh well, to each his own.'

As the teacher walked in, he quickly texted Derek about how he lucked out and landed a summer job as a model photographer.

_Details coming soon… after a long kiss =D_

He added at the end and put his phone away. He could make it through the first period if there was a text message from Derek waiting at the end of it.

* * *

'Eh, why does he sound like he can't believe I took the job? And, why is he asking if I have all the details?' Stiles reread his boyfriend's message and got a bad feeling. Derek could simply be checking if he knew what he was signing up for, but it felt like there was something that the werewolf knew and he didn't. 'But how? Did he run into dad?'

"Hey, Stiles." Danny took Scott's empty seat and stole his attention. "What are you and Derek doing tonight? Want to go to the Jungle?"

"You want to go dancing on a Monday? I thought Friday and Saturday were your dancing days."

"They are. But I saw this cute guy last Friday and he hasn't come back since. Maybe he'll be back today. Third time's the charm."

"You went dancing last night too? And, isn't it more likely that he'll show up on another Friday?"

"But he hasn't been there on any other Fridays before. I would've seen him if he had. He's hard to miss, kinda like Jackson…" Danny made the saddest face in the world.

"Oh, you evil thing. You're only playing the Jackson card to make me feel bad!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. And, even if I did, I would've learned it from you." Danny thought about the day when Stiles had tricked him into helping him, using his cousin Miguel's body. It was shocking when Jackson had told him that Miguel was actually an Alpha werewolf called 'Derek' who had bitten him by request.

"Okay, I'll ask Derek. But if he says no, I won't have a choice."

"Why would he say no? Guys worship him at the Jungle. Someone asked me about him the other night and asked for 'God'. And, don't Alphas need their egos stroked on a regular basis?"

"They do, but Derek's pretty serious about my studies. He doesn't like me going out before exams. Seriously, if I had a daddy kink, I would've called him daddy… and then he would've killed me and I would've died a horny death."

Danny gave his friend a resentful glare.

"What?"

"You make it sound like you're annoyed when you just want to show off what a caring boyfriend you have."

Stiles beamed. "Now that you mention it, it kinda looks like I have a caring boyfriend."

Danny shook his head in defeat. "You're still the master of evil, Stiles. I'm nowhere near your level."

"Now don't sell yourself short, Danny. With a little bit of mentoring, you could be my best disciple!"

"Will you just ask Derek already? Let me know what he says." Danny went back to his seat as Scott came back with a handful of snack.

Stiles did as he was told and texted his boyfriend. He was sure that the answer would be no, but Danny would want proof since he was a thorough bastard.

_Bleep._

'Huh, that's weird.' Stiles stared at the reply. Derek only asked when he should pick him up. He wondered if Peter was playing with his nephew's phone.

'Wait a minute… Peter?' Stiles gasped. 'Oh my god, it must be Peter! He's the one who's looking for a photographer! That's why dad was all weird! And, that's why Derek knows the details!' He slapped his forehead and scared his best friend.

"What's going on?" Scott asked through a mouthful of Oreos.

"Gaaahhh, I'll explain later. Just know that I've been fooled, ahhhh… by creatures with lower intelligence, dahhhh… And, there will be revenge, kahhh…" Stiles twisted his body in agony as the next teacher showed up. He hadn't signed a contract or anything so he could take it all back. He was just furious that he had let it come this far.

"Are you having a seizure, Mr. Stilinski?" Mr. Harris took a good look at his least favorite student.

"You have no idea how much I wish I was." Stiles' answer brought out giggles from his classmates.

"Are you suggesting that attending my class is worse than having a seizure?" The teacher gave him a sharp glare.

"What? No! Of course not! I didn't.. I love your class!... sir." Stiles smiled weakly, hoping to avoid a detention.

"Did you just lie to my face, Mr. Stilinski? Do you have such little respect for me? We both know you don't have enough love for chemistry to enjoymy class."

"Uh, for the record, I have nothing against chemistry."

The class broke out in laughter and Stiles wondered when he would learn to shut his mouth at the right time.

"You're lucky I have important business to take care after school. I wish I could give you detention _tomorrow_, but unfortunately that's against school policy."

"Thank you, Almighty Policy. I shall bow down at your pedicured feet…" Stiles muttered, aware that Scott was the only one close enough to hear him.

"Is something funny here, Mr. McCall? If you insist on getting detention, I could always ask the principal for an exception." Mr. Harris adjusted his glasses.

"No, sir. I'm just really excited to review what we've learned so far." Scott put on his brightest smile.

"Kiss-ass…" Stiles coughed and Scott pretended that he didn't hear it. He could live with his attitude as long as they didn't get detention.

"Everyone, please open your books at page 43."

Stiles let out a sigh of relief as the teacher stopped wasting precious time. He couldn't wait for lunch so that he could rant at his pack of friends.

* * *

Stiles had told the whole story to his friends and had just confirmed his suspicions by texting Derek. And, if that wasn't bad enough, his boyfriend had informed him that Peter had asked him to be his main model. While he was torn between wanting to see Derek modeling and wanting him to do nothing with his uncle, everyone had something to say.

Isaac: "Oh, so that's what Derek's text was about. He told me to throw you in the Jeep and head for the hospital if you show severe signs of distress."

Danny: "Do you think Peter needs a guy in front of the computer? He's hot. I could work for him for minimum wage."

Lydia: "Of course Peter would choose you and Derek. He wouldn't risk hiring people who don't know about werewolves. He'll probably drag your dad into this too. Fashion designers love to flirt with models."

Scott: "What about me? Or Isaac? Aren't we model material too? We know about werewolves and we have killer abs!"

Isaac: "You think I have killer abs?"

Scott: "I don't _think_ you have killer abs. I _know_ you have killer abs."

Danny: "And, there was a time when I thought I was the only gay guy around here."

Everyone laughed except for Scott.

"Oh no, the A talk is coming." Stiles braced himself for the inevitable.

"I'm not gay. You all know how much I love Allison."

"It was a joke." Danny gave Scott a friendly smile. "I just thought I was the only one who noticed Isaac's abs, that's all."

"I'm the King of Abs!" Isaac got up and lifted his T-shirt for fan service.

"Isaac, some people are trying to eat here." Lydia snapped.

"I so didn't need to see your happy trail, buddy." Stiles groaned.

"Yeah, whatever. It was for Scott and Danny, the true believers of my abs."

"I was just pointing out a fact! How does that make me gay? Not that I have anything against gays, but I don't understand!"

With Scott's confused question hanging in the air, everyone went back to their lunch.

"So what are you going to do?" Lydia broke the ice once Scott was too busy digging into his chicken to question his sexuality.

"What do you mean what am I going to do?" Stiles looked offended. "I'm staying out of it. I'm already too involved with Peter! He's bad luck. Dad and Derek can give him a chance if they want to, but that doesn't mean I should too."

"Then maybe _I_ can take pictures and Scott can be the model." Isaac liked how his brain worked. "Derek's not going to take the job if you don't like it."

"You want to work for Peter? Why?" Stiles asked in disbelief. "And, if anything, _you_ should be the model. You have a hand tremor, remember?"

"I don't have a hand tremor! I was just nervous! And, I'm even going to live with Peter when Derek finishes my new room, so why not work for him too? It must be easier to work from home."

Stiles made a pained sound as he munched on his sausage. He knew that it was better for Isaac to live with his Alpha than alone in the house where he had been abused. But he didn't know if having Peter around so much would do him any good. He wished that Peter would move out, but he saw the absurdity of him getting a place of his own when there was so much space in the Hale house. Besides, Derek and Peter wanted to function as a family again and it wouldn't happen if they lived apart. Neither of them would give each other a friendly call or visit, so perhaps this was for the best.

"What's Derek's take on all this?" Lydia asked as her fork pierced through a meatball. "When did he find out?"

"Yesterday! Can you believe he didn't say anything when I was at his place? Okay, I was already angry at Peter, but still!" Stiles pushed his head into Scott's shoulder and got a sympathetic pat on the head. "He says he told Peter he's going to think about modeling. I hope he only said that to shut him up."

"But if Derek really wants to rebuild his family, maybe he'll actually think about it?" Scott winced, mirroring his best friend's expression.

"I think you should take the job, Stiles, whether Derek models or not." Danny suggested. "You said you wanted revenge. Fill your stomach with your enemy's money. I can't think of a better revenge than that."

"He has a point." Lydia agreed. "That way you can keep an eye on him when he tries to hit on your dad."

"Could you please stop talking about Peter hitting on my dad?" Stiles moaned.

"I'm simply preparing you to face the reality. You know he'll make you suffer whenever he can. If you try to hide, he's only going to do worse. Don't forget he's a werewolf who likes to chase and hunt."

"But didn't you also ask Derek if you could help him with his carpenter work?" Isaac asked.

"I did. But there's not much to help yet so I thought I could work two jobs. Urgh, now I really wish Derek's business was up and running. Then we would've been too busy to even think about this."

"Uh, are we still good for tonight?" Danny didn't like the look on Stiles' face. He wanted to know if he should look for someone else.

"I don't know if I'm in the mood to dance, Danny. Sorry." Stiles gave him an apologetic smile. "Maybe Isaac could take my place?" If he was pining for Scott, perhaps he would like to check out a gay club.

"Me?" Isaac looked a little surprised.

"Yeah, you're the King of Abs, remember? Danny wanted to take a king with him."

"Oh, yeah, you could meet the 'Queens of the Jungle.'" Danny chuckled as he referred to the drag queens that somehow seemed to be there every time he went.

Isaac cast a look at Scott. Perhaps he could get a little practice since he had never kissed a guy before. And, if he couldn't, he could always enjoy showing off his abs. "Okay, I'm in."

"Great!" Stiles smiled before laying his head on Lydia's shoulder. "Ah, for once, I dread talking to Derek. I just hope we're on the same boat, you know. And, I mean a solid boat with a well-functioning motor and everything. It would be awesome if it's a big ship, but not something like Titanic. Although if we're on Titanic, I'll have to draw Derek lying on the couch, all nude with a necklace around his neck. That has to be one of the best things to see before you die, right? But you should know I can't really draw. The last time I drew a person, the teacher thought it was a tiger. That was fifth grade and I was drawing you, and I don't think Derek's going to appreciate looking like a tiger. Tigers are hot but he's a wolf and hmm, do tigers and wolves have territory disputes? Maybe he'll get seriously offended if I draw him like a tiger and it would be so sad to make him angry when you're about to go down and there will be water everywhere, which means there will be water on his body too and ah, his body's just _made_ for obscene water shows and…"

Lydia speared a sausage with Stiles' fork and shoved it in his mouth. Everyone threw her a grateful look and finished their lunch while Stiles wished that the thick sausage was attached to his boyfriend.

* * *

"When were you going to tell me?" were the first words that left Stiles' mouth when Derek showed up in his room.

"When we were at the Jungle. I wanted to wait until you were in a good mood after doing that nodding dance of yours."

Derek sat on the bed and imitated Stiles. He nodded his head all the way to the right and then all the way to the left. "I don't know how you don't feel lightheaded after this. Such a dedicated dancer, you are."

Stiles punched his teasing boyfriend on the arm. "So that's why you agreed to going to the club! I knew it was suspicious!"

Derek laughed and pulled Stiles into his lap.

"I don't think this is funny, Derek! The devil has laid a trap in front of us and we need to decide if we're going to proceed with extreme caution or turn around and run as fast as we can."

"You're talking like when you're playing one of those computer games with mythical creatures." Derek ruffled Stiles' hair and kissed him on the cheek.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Stiles folded his arms.

"Because Isaac's room is finished."

"Already? But I only heard about it at lunch! We really need to work on our communication!"

Derek shrugged. Unlike his boyfriend, it was natural for him to keep certain things to himself. "It turns out I only needed to fix one of the walls and check the plumbing. He's bringing his own furniture so there's need to make any new ones."

"Cool. So when is he moving in?" Stiles felt slightly jealous that Isaac would be living in the same house as Derek when he couldn't get him to even stay for a night.

"I told him I'd help him move after the finals, but he wanted to come live with me as soon as possible."

"He did, huh?" Stiles glared at the floor. He wondered why he couldn't have anyone all to himself. First it was Scott, then it was his dad, and now it was Derek. Allison, Peter, and Isaac could all burn in… 'Okay, maybe Isaac doesn't have to burn in hell. But urgh…'

"What's with the jealousy?" Derek nuzzled his boyfriend's neck.

"It's nothing. I'll get over it." Stiles tried to get up from Derek's lap, but damn werewolf strength.

"It's not about Isaac, is it? We're not sharing a bathroom if that's what you're worried about. His room's next to mine but he has his own bathroom, so we'll always be dressed around each other."

For some reason, Stiles felt worse listening to Derek's explanation. "Huh, I didn't even think about that."

"Well, _I_ did. We've done some pretty interesting things in my bathtub and I don't want anyone else to get a sniff of the smell you left behind. That's _my_ souvenir and you know I don't like to share." Derek held his boy tighter and grabbed his chin before kissing him with conviction.

Stiles unfolded his arms and kissed him back. He liked it when Derek got a little possessive. He knew that it was silly to be jealous of his boyfriend's beta, but he briefly thought about what it would've been like if Derek had been human. 'Well, I guess I could've always gotten jealous of his roommate or pet.' He shrugged and put his hands on Derek's shoulders. He wanted to push the werewolf on the bed but he wasn't being cooperative.

"Why not?" The teenager whined. "Oh, you want me to ride you like this?"

"No, Stiles. I want you to study after we talk about Peter's offer. I've thought about it and it might not be as bad as we think."

"Oh my god, you've actually thought about it. Scott was right! And, nothing goes well when _he _is right!"

Stiles wanted to carry on with his dramatic monologue but his phone on the desk told him that he had a text message. He hopped off Derek's lap and checked it. It was from his dad. "Dad's taking the night shift and doesn't want me to wait up. Hmm, maybe I should go dancing after all."

"No, you shouldn't." Derek pointedly looked at the books on the desk and then at his boyfriend.

"Fine, no dancing. Just let me text him back. I bet he's coming home late because he feels guilty about what happened this morning. He should've told me it was Peter!"

"Probably. But he must've had his reasons."

"Gosh, Derek. Can you please be on _my_ side? Just this once? He's the one who pulled a Stiles, not me! Very conniving!" Stiles flopped down into his chair.

Derek laughed. "I'm always on your side, Stiles."

"Well, it hasn't really felt like that lately." Stiles pouted and let Derek wheel his chair close to the bed.

"The sheriff and I are both on your side. We both want you to consider the offer so you'll accept that Peter's now a solid part of our lives. We want you to stop being hurt and angry when you're the one we love, not Peter."

Stiles blinked. Things were so much worse than he had thought if he was getting a lecture on emotions from Derek. "So you don't mind taking off your clothes for him?"

Derek made a face. "Did you really have to put it like that?"

"But that's what it is! Peter's going to take your measurements while you're only in your underwear and oh god, that's what's going to happen when dad gets his swimming trunks…" Stiles pretended to faint but made sure that he landed on Derek's chest.

Derek snorted and laid his boyfriend next to him.

"Woops! Now that I'm lying on the bed, we don't have a choice. We must have sex!" Stiles made it sound like they really had no choice at all.

The werewolf chuckled. He was all too used to seeing Stiles work his way into his pants in many different ways. "You want sex? Let's trade then. I'll give you sex _and_ an easy way to learn the periodic table."

"In exchange for what? And, if you're talking about that song that's supposed to help you memorize the table, you can forget about it. I tried but I kept changing the lyrics."

"I want you to give me your words that you'll try not to spill Peter's blood on my floor. That includes taking my pictures for him. And, my method has nothing to do with a song."

Stiles sat up to protest but Derek held up a finger to indicate that he wasn't done talking. "Believe me, I feel the urge every so often to get my electric saw and go Dexter on him, but he saved both of our lives. And, whether I like it or not, he's the only family I have left."

"He's the only one left because of what he did to your sister! Who cares if he saved us? Does that really help you forgive him? How could you be such a saint? How could you even _talk_ to him after what he did?"

"Listen, I'm never going to forgive him for what he did to Laura. But staying angry at him isn't going to bring her back. And, I'm not giving him a second chance because I'm a saint." Derek lay on his back and pulled his boy down with him. "If he hadn't saved you that day, if I had lost you too… well, then I'm not sure if I could've mustered the strength to come out of that fight alive."

"Don't even say that…" Stiles buried his face in the werewolf's shoulder. He hated hearing the raw emotions in the voice of the man that he loved. Derek was only a few years older than him and yet he had been forced to cross so many bridges of tragedy. He was afraid that if he ran into another one, it would take him down and make him fall into a place that he could never crawl out of. He just hoped that if such a disaster were to happen, he would be by his side and do everything that he could to keep his man from falling.

Derek tightened the embrace. "I only realized how much I didn't want to lose you when that Alpha was about to rip out your heart. The sheriff was crying out your name but I knew I couldn't reach you in time. I looked around and there was Peter."

He swallowed all the terror and relief that rushed back to him. "The way I see it, Peter saved you _and_ the rest of us that day. I was leading the werewolves and your dad was in charge of the police force. With both leaders down, we could've been wiped out. He saved a lot of lives even if it might not have been his intention."

Stiles nodded with a low chuckle and breathed in his boyfriend's scent. If Derek could work with Peter, _he_ obviously could. He felt like an immature child who had been whining over nothing. He figured that this was one of the perks of dating an older guy. Derek's maturity often comforted him and showed him the right path. And, it turned him on like crazy so Stiles rubbed his groin against Derek's thigh, pretending that he needed to adjust his position.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow." He said quietly and pressed his lips to Derek's neck. He wanted to show his usually less emotional boyfriend how much he appreciated the heart-to-heart. He let his lips climb up to Derek's jaw and enjoyed the feel of stubble. He would've liked to linger there, but he could sense the werewolf's impatience so he moved onto the lips.

Derek felt his heart pound as Stiles poured his love and sorriness into the kiss. He thought about the day when he had first met the sixteen year old kid; he was wearing a T-shirt with a bull's eye on it on the edge of his property. Little had he known then that he would grow to care about the boy with the buzz cut until he grew slightly taller and had longer hair. After what had happened with Kate, he hadn't even dreamt about finding someone that he could trust. But this teenager had bulldozed his way into his life with that squeaking Jeep and the squeaking mouth that was currently on his own. (And, if Stiles wanted to burn his family alive too, there was only Peter left so he was welcome to go ahead.)

Derek jolted out of his thoughts when a hand sneaked under his wife beater. "Stiles…"

"Can't we study _after_ having sex? The mood is perfectly set for moving, emo sex!" Stiles' hand braved farther up the muscular chest. "You think I could focus on books when I could be focusing on your body instead?"

"That's why my secret method's going to work." Derek grinned. "It's studying and my body wrapped up in one package."

"Is that even possible? You sound like those sellers on the home shopping networks. And, I need to work on chemistry, not biology."

Stiles was about to say hi to Derek's nipple when his boyfriend pulled his hand out. "Noooo! I'm sorry, Mr. Nipples! Please don't think I'm rude! I'll be back for you!"

"Enough with the drama, Stiles. Go get the chemistry book and the marker; the one we can wash off later."

Stiles got up to follow his orders but had to stand still when he figured out what was going on. "Oh my god, are you letting me draw the table on you?" He turned around and saw that Derek had already lost his shirt and shoes. He was right.

"Close your mouth before you drool on the floor and get them already." Derek took off his belt and socks. He had a distinct feeling that he was going to regret this despite the best of intentions.

Ten minutes later, Stiles was sitting cross-legged on the bed, checking if his periodic table was correct. "Aluminum, Silicon, Left nipple, Phosphorus, Sulfur... Good. Arsenic, Selenium, Penis, yeah."

He eyed his prizes (elements Ln, Rn and Pe) before looking at the big picture. His hot boyfriend was lying naked on his bed with chemical tattoos all over his body. 'And, to think that Mr. Harris doubted my love for chemistry, pfft…'

"I love chemistry!" He informed the whole world, startling the werewolf.

"You're done checking the front?"

"Yeah. If you could kindly flip over…" It was already done before he could even finish the sentence.

In Derek's defense, he needed Stiles to end the torture as soon as possible. He had thought that he could handle the tickling wetness whenever Stiles had to erase the wrong element with his tongue and write it again. But it seemed like Stiles had made a lot of mistakes and needed to touch the elements to learn it by heart.

"Oh crap, I think I got the ones on your ass all wrong. How stupid of me!" Stiles wiped the drool off his chin and buried his face in his boyfriend's ass.

"Stiles!" Derek grunted. "If you keep messing with the table, I'm not going to let you take pictures of it."

Stiles' head sprang up from its happy place. "You're letting me take pictures of you naked? Like real pictures?"

"How else are you going to remember the table? I'm not planning to lie still for hours. So get your camera before I change my mind. Damn education." Derek moaned.

"Long live education!" Stiles shot off the bed and ran for his camera.

"And, you know what happens if anyone else sees these pictures."

"Yeah, yeah. Teeth on throat and claws on balls. I got it." Stiles jumped back on bed with his beloved camera. This was by far the best study session ever.

* * *

**Author's notes**: 1) The story about drawing a person who looks like a tiger is sadly a true story XD Well, I was making a person with clay, not drawing, but still! 2) Happy New Year, everyone :D


	5. The Hales versus Duties

Previously in 'The horror of another Halinski'…

Stiles had found out just how serious his dad was about dating Peter when he had been doing squats and had refused to have butter for the rest of the week. His day had only gotten worse as he realized that his dad's 'friend' who was looking for a photographer was actually Peter and that Derek had gotten an offer to be his main model. He hadn't wanted to even consider the offer, but Derek had asked him to give it a try since Peter had become a solid part of his and the sheriff's lives. Then Stiles had enjoyed a heart-to-heart with his boyfriend before Derek had let him draw the periodic table on his body.

Meanwhile, Isaac had decided to go to the Jungle with Danny to get some kissing practice, encouraged by the fact that Scott thought that he had killer abs.

**Author's notes**: 1) Sorry for the late update! Real-life complications. 2) This chapter is **rated M** (nothing explicit).

* * *

"I'm definitely gay." Isaac took the seat next to Stiles in the classroom. "And, not just for Scott."

"Good morning to you too, Abs. I guess it's never too early to have a gay talk. I take it that you roamed freely in the Jungle last night?"

"Yeah, it was awesome. I didn't kiss anyone, but a couple of guys kept buying me sodas and I drank them all until I got a funny feeling in my nose."

Stiles laughed and beeped the werewolf's nose. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about Scott. You know it's the full moon on Saturday."

"Yeah, I'll have to stay chained two days before the finals. Great." Isaac groaned. During the last full moon, he had found out that he had lost control of his shifting. Derek and Peter had suspected that it was because of the trauma of seeing his fellow betas die. He just hoped that it was temporary and that he wouldn't become a bigger burden to his Alpha.

"See, I was taking a shower this morning, a really nice and long shower, when it hit me." Stiles gave him a wicked grin. "I think I can get Scott to play the nurse for you. Maybe I can even put him in a little nurse outfit if you're into that kind of thing."

"But I don't want him to see me when I'm weak!"

"But he has a thing for helpless softies in pain! That's how he met Allison. She hit a dog with her car and thought she had killed it. Then she cried all over him and got herself a boyfriend."

"So you want me to cry all over him in my wolf form? Wouldn't that make me look extra ugly?" Isaac winced.

"Who says you're ugly? I don't think you guys are ugly when you shift."

Isaac shrugged. "Maybe it doesn't matter which form I'm in. My dad used to say I'm ugly when I cry."

"Aww…" Stiles squeezed his heart. "Make sure you tell Scott about this when you cry on his shoulder. That should seal the deal."

"So what's the plan?" Isaac checked the door to make sure that Scott hadn't arrived yet.

"Ah, the last time we had this talk, Isaac, it didn't go very well." Stiles thought about the movie gathering at Scott's place. "But thankfully, you don't have to remember anything this time. Except for telling that ugly crying story, of course."

"What's. The. Plan." Isaac frowned. Stiles should know better than to try his patience a few days before the full moon.

"The plan is to invite him over to your new room at Derek's. Hmm, I think we should let Derek do the talking to make it sound like there's no other way to help you. You're moving in today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. So the two of you will bond over the agony of having to study, when you could be rubbing your legs against each other, until you can't ignore the moon anymore. Then we'll have him tie you to the bed and look after you all night. And, by the time dawn crawls in through the window, you'll be a werewolf couple in bliss." Stiles liked how poetic he sounded.

"But what if I attack him?" Isaac bit his nails. "I know he can fight back but it wouldn't make me look good."

"Then you can enjoy a friendly wrestling! Just try not to spill any blood on the floor. Derek seems really protective of his reborn house."

"What if I scratch his new walls?" Isaac got worried. Getting the bite from Derek and joining this little pack was the best thing that had happened to him. He didn't want to disappoint his Alpha any more than he already had. It was bad enough that he had needed help with his nightmares and couldn't control his shifting.

"Maybe we can get you some scratching boards."

"Scratching boards? I'm not a weak, little cat!"

"Haha, is Stiles treating you like a kitten?" Scott appeared with his usual bright face. "You can scratch me instead. I'll heal."

Isaac immediately pictured himself scratching Scott's bare back in bed. He wondered what kind of moans would leave Scott's mouth and whether they would be different every time. He wanted to wonder about many other details as well, but he was in school and didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the other werewolf.

"So you're having claw problems?" Scott thought that it was cute to see Isaac having small werewolf issues. He remembered him looking like an eager puppy when he had been sniffing his keys.

"Uh, not really. We were just talking about precautions." Isaac didn't want to add anything new to the list of the things that he was incapable of doing, no matter how hard Stiles kicked him in the leg.

"It's okay. I get it. Oh, man, I don't even know how many sheets I've shredded so far. I'm kinda glad mom knows about me now. I don't have to go to the mall for new sheets and get those weird glances anymore."

"You tear your sheets? I thought you had perfect control." Isaac was surprised and slightly relieved that even great werewolves like Scott also had moments of weakness.

"I wouldn't call it perfect. Sometimes I get these really vivid dreams and my body arches off the bed, and I apparently claw my sheets to stay down."

Isaac wanted to ask him to describe his dreams in excruciating detail, but the teacher chose that moment to rush into the classroom, muttering countless apologies. He tried not to be too disappointed and nodded when he saw Stiles mouth 'Full moon'. He would get to spend plenty of hours with Scott if things went as planned.

'Hmm, I should start thinking about my room.' If Scott was going to come over, he would have to pay extra attention to the decoration.

'Do I get curtains or blinds? What about bed covers? And, pillow covers? Do I go with something classy like mulberry silk or something more fun? Maybe I can ask for Peter's advice since he's the fashion expert. Or maybe he can even make me my own covers.'

Isaac doodled some ideas on his notebook before it hit him again. 'Yep, I'm definitely gay.'

* * *

That afternoon, Stiles was standing in front of the Hale house to keep his promise to his boyfriend. His face showed solemn determination as he looked down on the house. He knew that his foe was aware of his arrival; he just wanted to make him wait.

'Maybe I should've brought a lawyer with me. Where's Harvey Specter when you need him.' He kicked a stone out of his way, pretending that it was Peter.

Nobody would believe him but he had actually been trying to tolerate the bad werewolf because of the positive influence that he had on his dad. His old man had a twinkle in his eyes that made him look young and happy, and he had even decided to stay away from his beloved butter –which was no easy achievement if his past failures were anything to go by. But now that he was facing the house where the werewolf lived, it was difficult to control his negative emotions towards him.

"What are you doing out there?" Derek's head appeared through a window. "It's hot. Come on in. Peter's been waiting for you."

"Serves him right." Stiles muttered and strode through the front door. The top of his head was getting a little hot and he liked to think that he was capable of showing mercy to his enemy.

As soon as he walked in, he could see that Isaac and Derek were busy moving Isaac's stuff from the foyer to the second floor. Then he saw the unpleasant man climb down the stairs. Of course, the bastard had to make him look up at him.

"Stiles."

"Peter." He puffed out his chest and tried to look like an Alpha.

"If you're going to work for me, I'd prefer 'Mr. Hale.'"

"We're already on a first-name basis, _Peter_. I think it's kinda lame to go back."

"It's called being professional, Mr. Stilinski. Oh, but wait. That's your dad, whom I'm taking to dinner tonight in my brand new car."

"You don't have to tell me every time you go out with him. He's a big boy." Stiles gripped the strap of his camera bag.

"I don't? But then how would you know when to put on a wig and follow us around like a weasel? And, I certainly hope he's a _big _boy." Peter grinned mischievously.

"Stiles, catch." Derek threw him a can of Fanta, hoping that it would remind him why he was here.

Stiles opened the can and took a swig. He needed to calm down; Peter was just being his irritating self. Besides, Danny had asked to put in a good word for him and see if Peter could give him a shot at managing his website. He had wanted to keep Danny out of the mess, but he had been powerless against those sad cow eyes.

"I'd like to see my contract." Stiles took a seat on the couch.

"A contract? I pay you more than I probably should when you take useful pictures for me. Is that too difficult to understand?" Peter sat on the other side of the coffee table.

"I thought you wanted to be professional. I demand an official contract."

"It's just a summer job, Stiles. And, we already _have_ a verbal contract. Since you're still a child, I talked to your father. I gave him my words that I'll tolerate your behavior at a great personal expense and he told me you were eternally grateful and would do your best to please me."

"I only said that because I didn't know you were my boss! And, who says I'm a child? I'm turning eighteen in a few months!"

"Is there a difference?" Peter made a fake confused face.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Isaac asked Derek as he lifted one side of the bookshelf. "Shouldn't you try to stop them?"

"Why would I want to do that? It makes for a good soap. Better than anything I've seen on TV." Derek climbed the stairs backwards, holding the other side of the bookshelf.

"But I thought you wanted them to get along."

"They're boys. They'll fight it out."

Isaac threw a worried look at the two before deciding to use this opportunity to have a private talk with his Alpha. "Thanks for doing this. I don't have any close relatives and it would've been ridiculous to go into foster care at my age."

"No problem. You're my responsibility."

They entered the room and carefully put the bookshelf in place.

"Still, I wanted to thank you." Isaac gave Derek an awkward yet heartful smile. "I don't think all Alphas would take such good care of their betas."

"Try not to have high expectations. My goal is very low: do better than Peter."

They shared a short laugh until they heard Peter yell Stiles' name. The werewolves rushed out of the room and looked downstairs. It seemed like Stiles had poured his Fanta all over Peter's new fabric that was in a shopping bag on the coffee table. It was supposed to be made into the sheriff's swimming trunks.

"Woops, sorry. Dad mentioned you'd forgive me even if I made a few mistakes. I guess this is one of them." Stiles made a fake sorry face.

Derek took a look at the mess. But he lost interest as soon as he saw that the sticky liquid hadn't hit the floor. He only saw then that his uncle was giving him an exasperated look. "What? _You _hired him."

Peter huffed and faced his new pain in the ass. "I guess this gives me an excuse to buy more fabric for _matching_ swimming trunks. Oh, wait. I can just buy the same amount and make matching _Speedos_."

Stiles was about to launch into the most threatening speech of his life when he heard Derek clear his throat. 'Right, right. I'm not here to fight. Why do I keep forgetting this? Let's think about something distracting, something that will make me lose my tongue. Err… Gallium, Germanium, Arsenic, Selenium, Penis, Penis, Penis…'

He stopped memorizing his favorite part of the periodic table when he noticed that the werewolves were looking at him with incredulous and uncomfortable eyes.

"Don't tell me you're picturing my nephew in a pair of Speedos." Peter rolled his eyes. "But then, maybe I should sell Speedos too. And, maybe throw in some body shots of the model every once in a while." He pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and jotted it down. His business was going to be so successful.

"Don't get any ideas, Peter. I'm not posing in Speedos." Derek grunted.

"Why not?" Stiles and Peter asked in unison. Perhaps this was the common ground that they were supposed to find.

"I'm not even going to answer that." Derek came down the stairs and picked up Isaac's desk chair with one hand before throwing it upstairs. Luckily for the chair, its owner caught it quite smoothly.

"Now don't let it out on your beta." Peter clicked his tongue. "That's not how an Alpha takes care of his pack."

"I was testing his reflexes. He's gotten better."

Stiles coughed. He had seen Scott catch a flying arrow from a very close distance even when he had his back to it. He was fully aware that Scott performed werewolf tricks better than Isaac and that Isaac was having issues at the moment, but the way he saw it, Derek was bonding with his beta. He wanted to have fun too, throwing and catching furniture with his boyfriend. Twisting his lips, he faced his boss with a forced smile.

Peter folded his arms and gave him a wary look. "Just say whatever you have to say, so we can move on to the camera test. You should know that as a fashion designer, I must be in my workroom the moment inspiration hits me. I want to show your dad a few sketches when he comes in tomorrow."

Stiles gritted his teeth but nodded like a good employee who only plotted his boss' murder in his mind. "I have a business proposal."

Derek tuned out as he figured that the two were going to be fine for now. Stiles had mentioned that Danny was looking forward to working for Peter.

"Come on, Isaac. Let's get this over with." Derek tossed the desk lamp and the night lamp to his beta. He wanted Isaac to get settled in as soon as possible so that he could start studying. No beta of his was going to fail a class in a regular high school. 'Perhaps Scott isn't meant to be in my pack after all.'

As Isaac went inside his room with the lamps, he was forced to turn his attention back to the duo. He could sense trouble coming his way.

"Tell you what. I'll hire your friend if you get Derek to pose in Speedos."

"Deal."

Derek groaned. He couldn't believe that they were shaking hands over his fate when he was standing right there.

"I thought I made myself clear." He towered over his boyfriend who was opening his camera bag.

"You did. But think about poor Danny boy." Stiles imitated Danny's sad yet hopeful eyes.

"Not my pack." Derek picked up the empty can of Fanta and slammed it into the wastebasket.

"Aww, don't be like that. And, why the hale would you be reluctant to pose in Speedos? I'm known to have an eye for these things, Derek, and you look better than the pros! I bet God keeps a picture of you on his worktable and sobs into it whenever he realizes he could never top his best creation again. Or maybe it's a werewolf thing? Do you have this irresistible urge to lie low and protect yourself from overzealous fanboys?" Stiles eyed Derek's crotch, picturing him in a pair of indecent Speedos. He could totally use a second can of Fanta.

"I don't see the point of lying low, Stiles. I'm apparently going out with one of those overzealous fanboys." Derek smirked.

"Can you annoying lovecocks peck each other on your own time?" Peter gave them a disapproving look. "Some people have work to do and they're werewolves, not vampires, so their time is quite limited."

He gestured for the two to follow him for a camera test. He could hear Stiles giving his nephew a peck on the cheek and Derek squeezing his backside in return. Shaking his head in sheer frustration, he quickened his steps. One day when he became a famous fashion guru, he would write about his hassles in his autobiography and become even more famous.

* * *

Later that evening, Peter was in a much better mood. He was far away from all his troubles and was having dinner with his date. He had checked twice but there had been no sign of the two rascals or a werewolf who was sickeningly loyal to his Alpha's boyfriend.

"What about this one?" The sheriff imitated yet another dwarf from 'The Hobbit', relying on his hands, facial muscles, and talent.

"Hahaha, yes, I can also see which one that is. You really captured his soul!" The werewolf burst into fake laughter, proud that he was such a great actor. No other man could've laughed as convincingly as he did. He had no idea who the sheriff was supposed to be, but the pour soul was trying so hard.

He wanted to think that he couldn't find this moment funny because he didn't know any of the characters. Who could blame him? He didn't like books and hadn't had time to catch the movie; he had been busy getting burned, recovering, and getting revenge. But unfortunately, Stiles had done similar imitations earlier and all three werewolves had had a good time. They had been pretty hilarious by themselves.

The sheriff smiled with satisfaction as Peter erupted into another fit of laughter. It had been a great idea to try his son's most recent repertoires. He had laughed so hard when Stiles had first done them. It was even more fulfilling to put a huge smile on Peter's face if he thought about all the things that he had gone through; his date was a gay werewolf whose family had been brutally murdered while he was burning to the bones.

"Let me show you another one. This one's trickier." He quickly offered. He didn't want the werewolf to pick up on his emotions. Peter didn't strike him as the type to tolerate getting sympathized.

Peter flinched at the unnecessarily kind offer. Another one? Hadn't he sat through a whole bunch of dwarfs already? Surely the sheriff wasn't planning on showing him all of them? "You'll have to refresh my memory. I haven't caught the movie yet and that book's so old. I can't seem to remember how many dwarfs there were."

"Thirteen! Would you like to see them all? Although I have to warn you that I'm not as experienced as my son when it comes to these things."

"Is that so? Who would've guessed?" Peter put up another Oscar-winning performance. Had dating always been this hard on the face? He either forgot what it was like or the sheriff appealed to him more than he had thought. He couldn't imagine himself putting this much effort into anyone else.

As the sheriff put him through another ordeal, he tried to keep his smile relaxed by picturing how things could go down in his workroom tomorrow. He didn't want to rush the sheriff into anything that he didn't feel comfortable with, but Derek had made him a sturdy worktable that needed to be christened.

"Excuse me, sirs, your main dishes for the evening." The waitress saved Peter who made a mental note to tip her generously on their way out.

The sheriff swiftly abandoned the entertainment and picked up his knife and fork. Decent imitations required a lot of energy. "Listen, Peter. I want you to know how glad I am to hear that you and Stiles are giving each other another chance. It means a lot more to me than either of you might think." He added a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling.

Peter bit the inside of his mouth as he smiled back awkwardly. He was having a hard time figuring out if talking about emotions was any better than suffering from questionable imitations. But he quickly decided that it was, since there was no way that he could've handled all thirteen dwarfs. "Whatever makes you happy, Crinkles."

He cut his steak before realizing what he had said. Did he just accidentally give his date a nickname? How did _that_ happen?

The sheriff froze for a split second before blood rushed to his cheeks. "I, uh, I like that."

He had decided to be honest with his reactions no matter how insecure he felt about dating such a hot guy. The werewolf could've known what was going through his mind even if he hadn't voiced his thoughts, but he wanted to show Peter that he was willing to do his part.

Peter smiled at the sincerity in the sheriff's voice. "Crinkles it is then."

He would never understand how such an adorable man could have such an annoying son. 'He probably got it from his mother.' He shrugged as the sheriff started to talk about how he had learned martial arts in his younger days.

While the subject had become infinitely easier to deal with, Peter found himself fascinated by the sheriff's mouth rather than by his story. He wondered what would've happened if Stiles hadn't interrupted their goodnight kiss on the porch of the Stilinski house. Would the sheriff have gone through with it? Would it have been a short chaste kiss or a slow exploring one? What kind of a kisser would his date have turned out to be? A shy yet determined one or an eager, possessive one?

'I need to kiss him.' Having learnt his lesson, he knew that he had to get a kiss before reaching the sheriff's house. So when they had finished their meal and were waiting outside for the valet to come back with his car, he kissed his date on the cheek.

The sheriff let out a small sound of surprise. He had to wince at how his heart had almost jumped out of his throat at the simple gesture. Then he was reminded of the goodnight kiss that they had failed to share last Friday. He looked at the werewolf to see if he was supposed to return the kiss. The moon had slipped out from behind the clouds and was shining brightly above them.

"Do werewolves acquire more beauty along with strength when it's near full moon?" It was merely an academic question but judging by the smug grin on Peter's face, he had taken it as a flirtatious compliment.

'Oh well, I don't remember how to flirt anyway. I can't complain if I somehow managed it.' He added a smile to make sure that his date didn't suspect that it was an accident.

"I'm flattered, especially when those words come from someone I'd like to kiss." Peter could tell that the sheriff was even more out of practice than him when it came to dating, so he made things crystal clear for him.

The valet finally showed up so he opened the door to the passenger seat for the sheriff. Now that he had made his intentions clear, he was going to give his prey some time to get used to the idea and then go for the kill… he meant kiss.

The sheriff collected his thoughts as the car left the restaurant. It was exciting to think that someone wanted to kiss him. All the excitement that he had gotten over the years was over his job and his son. While he loved both of them fiercely, it was nice to have some excitement that was purely related to his personal self.

Then his thoughts went back to his accidental flirting. If he was going out with a werewolf, he needed to do more research. He had gathered a large amount of information when his son had come forward, but he hadn't thought about looking into the beauty section.

'Knowledge is power.' He reminded himself as the car came to a sudden halt. That was when he saw a spark in the werewolf's eyes. "Peter?"

"I'm sorry, I can't wait any longer. Your excitement's too distracting." Peter didn't care if he didn't sound sorry. It was time to drop the act and take what he wanted. There was only so much joy that could be derived from the process of hunting.

The sheriff would've chuckled at the softness of the kiss if he hadn't been too busy admiring the way that the moonlight accentuated Peter's silky hair. He carefully ran his hand over his hair and got a deeper kiss. He pulled his date closer by the collar of his shirt and sighed in relief that he hadn't forgotten how to kiss.

There was nothing magical about the kiss but it had both a calming and energizing effect on him. He briefly wondered if it was because he was kissing a werewolf or if he was just attracted to his date more than he had thought. He was obviously in great need of a thorough research.

As the kiss grew more and more exciting, the sheriff let out a small laugh. Peter would have to find a way to deal with his excitement because he had a feeling that he was going to get excited quite often around him.

* * *

Meanwhile, there was another couple that was enjoying a deliciously intimate moment. Derek was leaning against a tree while his boyfriend was humping his bent leg.

"Oh god, Derek…" Stiles sped up his humping as he tightened his arms around Derek's neck. The werewolf had reassured him that Isaac was listening to loud music while arranging his things, but he didn't think that he could fully enjoy his boyfriend unless they had more privacy. Of course, being out in the woods where anyone could see them didn't fit his usual definition of privacy, but at least they were firmly inside the Hale property.

"I'm glad it's finally warm enough to have outdoor sex." Stiles commented before kissing Derek. "Otherwise our balls would've frozen and it could've been very awkward and painful."

"Yours maybe, not mine." Derek smirked and let his hands travel down his boyfriend's body to check the state of the said organs.

Stiles moaned loudly and thrust his hips forward. "Yeah, well, the point is having both of our balls in decent condition. Wait, that sounded weird. We have two balls each, but that made it sound like we only have two balls between us. Hey, did I ever tell you I used to think that werewolves had two sets of balls? You always walked around like your jeans couldn't hold you in."

Derek laughed. Stiles sounded like his best friend, which was a sign for him to move things along. He gave the teenager a long, satisfying kiss while pulling down their jeans and underwear and producing a condom from his pocket.

"Let me." Stiles took the condom and rolled it on the werewolf. He obviously wanted to put his hands on Derek with every chance that he got. Then he switched places with him and turned around. He chuckled as he threw his arms around the large tree, giving a new meaning to the term 'tree-hugger'.

"Take it." Derek gently nudged his side.

Stiles held his hand back expecting a tube of lube, but what he got was another condom. "Your timing for jokes could be slightly better, but I'm proud that you keep trying."

"It's not a joke, Stiles. Put it on." Derek encouraged him with a kiss on the back of his neck.

"Me? Why do I need one too? Ooh, are we trying something new?"

"No, we're just going to show some respect to the old tree and not let you shoot all over it." Derek gave him a kiss on the ear.

"And, I thought _I_ was the tree-hugger." Stiles found the request absolutely ridiculous but did as he was told. He had Derek all to himself, so he wasn't going to waste valuable time by arguing over such trivial matters. (But before Dr. Condom came up with his amazing invention, hadn't his ancestors bonded with trees in a natural way? Or had they faced the other way by the end of the journey to show their respect to Mother Nature? There had to be a reason why Derek was acting like this and this was a subject that required extensive research.)

"We need to talk." Derek suggested as he worked his fingers into his boyfriend.

"You want to _talk_? Oh, you mean dirty talk."

"No, I mean about your irrational jealousy towards Isaac." Derek twisted his fingers.

"Eh, your timing for initiating conversations could also be better. But again, I'm proud that you keep trying. And, there's nothing to talk about. I told you I'll get over it. I know he needs your help and care." Stiles turned his head and kissed the corner of Derek's mouth. His boyfriend should be able to tell that he wasn't lying.

Derek tugged at Stiles' T-shirt to kiss him on the shoulder as he slowly pushed in. The boy had too many things on his mind when all he should be thinking about was doing well on his finals. "I failed my other betas, Stiles. I'm not going to let the last one pay for my mistakes as well."

Stiles made a disapproving sound. "They left you, remember? They didn't pay for your mistakes. They paid for their own."

"They came back."

"The point is, they left in the first place! They're the ones that weakened the bond and left themselves vulnerable."

"It was _my_ job to convince them to stay."

Stiles let out a strangled cry. It was difficult to focus on anything else when Derek was pulsing inside him. "Fine. Do whatever you need to do to keep Isaac safe and happy, okay? Now will you quit the emo talk and start moving? Show me your werewolf strength!"

Derek put his hands on Stiles' shoulders and forgot about his Alpha duties. It was impossible to stay still anyway.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Stiles muttered between embarrassing sounds of pleasure. If he thought about it, he would've been much more upset if Derek _didn't_ take good care of his beta. Then there was the fact that Derek caring about another person again was a huge deal in itself.

"It's fine. Now hold on to that tree. I believe you asked for werewolf strength." Derek grinned wickedly and set about his work. He would gladly remind his boyfriend just how strong a werewolf could be.


End file.
